


Of Custody and Guardianship

by Ghostnic



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Custody Battle, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2020-05-19 09:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 50,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19354492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostnic/pseuds/Ghostnic
Summary: Muggle High School AUThe summer holidays have just started, and with it comes the hardest battle Harry has had to face. He wants nothing more than to live with Sirius and leave the Dursley's, but his relatives aren't so quick to sign away him, or more accurately his inheritance. As Sirius prepares for the custody battle to come, he turns to his cousin's ruthless yet successful husband Lucius Malfoy, one of Englands top Lawyers.





	1. Start of Summer

The humidity in the air was felt by all the students and teachers in the school. The summer sun was out pelting full force leaving everyone sticky with sweat and running with short tempers. All the professors had seemingly given up on teaching, content to simply play whatever video they deemed fit well enough into the class’s curriculum.

In English, Professor Flitwick had played some sort of Shakespeare play which despite its promise of a modern setting and actors, was still just as difficult to follow. Within ten minutes Harry had given up all semblance of understanding and tuned out. Hermione, of course, followed the dialogue perfectly. Harry and Ron both knew unlike the other girls who were simply watching for the eye candy main actor, Hermione knew what was going on. She gasped when the two love interests met and patted her damp eyes when someone was shot. Harry and Ron, as well as most the boys in the class, murmured quietly between themselves, being shushed by the girls whenever they got too loud. 

In history, a menial, mind-numbing documentary was played, which in truth was just as ineffective as listing to Professor Binns drone on, on any normal day. Harry and Ron had a running bet with Hermione the guy was a ghost. The man was ancient and looked to be over 100 years old, his pale grey skin too abnormal for him to still be alive. In history, Harry tried to catch up on the sleep he had lost the night before. Many others in the room had planned to do the same. Neville had started snoring within ten minutes of the class, and Nott and Zabini were attempting to shoot paper wasps into Goyle’s open mouth. 

The last day of school followed much the same in all of Harry’s classes. He listened halfheartedly to Ron and Hermione’s summer plans. Harry knew they were trying to tone down their interesting plans for his own sake, but it still hurt to hear they would be gone all summer, leaving him alone. Hermione’s parents were going to take her to New York, somewhere she had been begging to go since Harry had met her in first year. Ron, for the first summer since Harry and he became friends, would also be gone, heading to Romania to visit his brother alongside the rest of his family. Unlike the two who would be travelling overseas, Harry would be stuck at home once again this summer. He refused to tell them his own plans. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to tag along, mate?” Ron asked for the hundredth time, his eyes full of sympathy and something to close to pity for Harry’s comfort. 

The soft snores from the class was hidden by the monotone commentary running over whatever documentary was being played.

“Yeah, Ron, I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s not like I have the money to go overseas. Or even a passport.”

“But still.”

Harry knew if he asked him to, Ron would have stayed behind. He was just that sort of friend. One time when they were 13, Harry had run over to his farm after a major argument with Uncle Vernon. Ron hadn’t even questioned what had happened, simply taking Harry’s teary eyes and bruised cheek for what they were. He let him stay as long as Harry needed, and Harry stayed as long as he could let himself.

There were other times, after that. Each time Ron had begged Harry to go to the police, had taken photos for evidence. 

“Please, Harry, you have to leave!”

“I’m fine. No one will believe me if I go forward, and what if they did. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Come and stay with us. Mum won’t care, hell she would have taken you in ages ago if you had let her.”

“Its fine, Ron. It’s not that bad.”

He never believed Harry when he said that, but as far as Ron knew, it really wasn’t that bad. He and Hermione had only ever seen what Harry wanted them to. A split lip here, a black eye there. They didn’t know that was only the surface of it. 

They were heading to science class after yet another mind-numbing class not even Hermione could pretend to be interested in. It was the last class of the day, the only thing that stood between them and the summer holidays. Ahead of him, Harry heard Seamus and Dean discussing their summer plans. 

“After we go camping, Mum said we might stay a few nights in London, just bum around the city for a bit.”

“That sounds sick,” Dean responded. “I’m going to be around there for a bit with my family! I reckon if we get the dates right, we should be able to meet up for a few days!”

Harry’s chest felt constricted and he looked down to his shoes, counting the stairs as they walked down them. He noticed his shoelaces were untied and had a fleeting thought of tripping, letting gravity take over and violently pull him to the earth in an unforgiving and painful manner. Hermione and Ron flanked beside him, chatting about something Harry wasn’t paying attention to. Once again, the thoughts about what faced him this summer wondered through Harry’s thoughts. Fear pumped through his veins and he could feel his heart rate increase simply envisioning his Uncles enraged face blotched red and purple. 

“Harry!”

He whipped his head to Hermione, humming in response. 

“Honestly, you need to pay better attention to your surroundings. We’re here.”

Sure enough, they had arrived at hells gate itself. Inside loomed a more prominent threat than Harry had been envisioning. Inside, a vampire who did not understand or care for the use of shampoo, awaited them. 

Hauling a deep breath, Harry entered the classroom, making a beeline for the backseats with Ron and Hermione. Science remained the sole class Hermione didn’t sit in the front. 

“Now is not the time for your silly little conversations about whatever miserable plans you have made this summer.”

Those were the words practically shouted by Professor Snape as he entered the classroom in his usual dramatic fashion. Behind him the door slammed, and it took everything in Harry not to flinch from the noise. He refused to give the greasy git the satisfaction of his fear. 

“You have not yet finished this school year, and until that bell rings and I have dismissed you, I will not here of any plans or conversation regarding the Summer holidays. You are here to learn. Is that understood?”

Silence answered Snape’s question. 

“Very well. Get your textbooks out and turn to page 664. If you were foolish enough to have forgotten your textbook this afternoon, you will be seeing me after class.”  
Ron let out a humph of air next to him. 

“Fucking git,” Ron whispered lowly to Harry, to which he responded with a grimace.

The class slowly started pulling out their books, manually flipping through pages. Hermione looked the only one pleased to be given actual work on the Friday afternoon before summer break. Even Malfoy and his crew looked like they had no intention of working, setting up in a small circle to chat. As they worked through the lesson, Malfoy started talking, quietly enough not to be heard by Snape, but loud enough for Harry to pick up. 

“Mother and Father have made plans for us to travel to France again this Summer. I do love visiting our summer home there,” he said, sticking his chest out as his group gave varying degrees of responses. “What about you Blaise, Berlin again this year?”

“No, this year I am off to Australia. Something unexpected, but Mother’s new husband owns a beach house on the coast. I intent to spend most my summer by the shore, see who can catch my eye.”

Harry tried hard to tune them out, but it seemed every word they said got louder and louder. Parkinson was giggling somewhat cruelly, and Malfoy’s obnoxious drawl continued throughout the class. Harry knew by now Snape could hear but was choosing to ignore them. 

“Potter. Potter!” Malfoy whisper shouted at him, turning around in his chair. 

Harry tried to ignore him, but when he looked up Malfoy and his friends were all looked at him in various states of amusement. 

“So, where are you off to this holiday, Potter? The Bahama’s, Egypt?” Malfoy mocked; his voice laced with sarcasm. 

Harry put his head down. His chest had already been brimming with anxiety about the thoughts of this summer, and Malfoys words succeeded in increasing the panic within him. 

“Fuck off, Malfoy,” Ron whispered. 

“Mr. Weasley! I said no talking. See me after class!”

Malfoy and his friends snickered as Ron’s face grew red. They turned around, smirks adorning their faces. Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry shot his friend a thankful and sympathetic look. 

The lesson crept along. To the others it was probably torturously slow, but for Harry, he was quite content for the lesson to go on forever. The start of summer would mark a long, emotional trip and he was not in any race to face off against this battle. When the bell finally rang, the class speedily packed up. There were shouts of celebration and laughter of relief. Among it all, Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed behind. Harry glum mood was even felt by his two friends who refrained from joining in the celebrations.

Ron stayed behind to talk to Snape and Harry and Hermione stood outside the classroom door. They watched as Professor Snape berated Ron, whose face was stained red.

“Harry,” Hermione said softly, hesitant. 

Harry looked up from his shoes to her face, seeing concern and sadness. 

“Is everything alright? I know you usually don’t like summer, but today feels different. Your more upset than usual.”

Harry wasn’t expecting this question from Hermione. Despite excelling at logic, Hermione usually lacked in emotional capacity, leaving most of the emotional talks in the group to be conducted by Ron. Trying his best to hide his shock from the question, and the fear and anxiety growing inside him, he strained a smile onto his face. 

“I’m fine, Mione. Promise,” he coughed. She didn’t look convinced. “It’s just, Ron going away is going to be different. That’s all.”

Hermione nodded her head, her eyes looking at him with pity. She opened her mouth to say something, but Harry cut her off.

“Don’t tell him, please. I don’t want to ruin his holiday. I’ll be fine.”

Still looking unsure, she nodded. The door swung open, and Ron stormed up to them, muttering violently under his breath. They walked to the buses side by side, listening to Ron rant about Snape and his obvious bias. 

“I mean, there’s no way he couldn’t hear those fuckers. No, no, its only me he hears. Wanker.”

Despite everything, Harry found himself laughing along to his friends’ complaints. The sun beamed down on them and Ron had long since shed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and untied his tie. Harry had loosened his own tie and removed his jacked, leaving his sleeves rolled down. Hermione’s uniform was untouched, immaculate as ever. The three of them walked across the grass fields to the bus pick up zones, where most the school was now gathered. The rowdy mood was unmistakable. 

When they got to the crowd, they hung together for a few seconds. Usually, they would all convene near the fence, standing there for the last few moments of the school day before heading off to their separate buses. Today, however, Hermione was being picked up by her parents and Ron was under strict instructions not to miss his bus, which had happened more than a few times when he had chosen to stay behind and hang with Harry, who preferred to wait for the late bus. 

“Have a good holiday, guys. Take lots of photos for me, yeah,” Harry tried to sound as sincere as possible. 

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione said before pulling him in for a hug. 

Awkwardly, he wrapped his hands around her back and patted. Once she let go, Ron pulled him in roughly. When he let go, he ruffled Harry’s head, leaving his thick black curls even messier than before. 

“I’ll be fine, guys,” Harry laughed, small and honest this time. 

“Call me when you can, alright,” Ron demanded, and Hermione nodded insistently next to him. 

“Yeah, course. Now get going!”

They both started to walk away together, glancing back at him from time to time. Harry knew they were talking about him in hushed whispers. It hurt to think about what they were saying. 

He waited until they were both out of view before slipping into the crowd. He heard buses start to pull out, the heavy engines booming in his ears. Sweat started beading on his forehead as he walked out of the crowd and away from the school. 

The good thing about Hogwarts had always been its location. It seemed no matter how far away you lived, it was only a matter of minutes by bus. It truly was magic, Harry thought. He couldn’t explain it, how his friends came from all over, small towns and cities, and each came to the same school. 

When Harry had lived with the Dursleys, he had needed to catch a bus to school. It was always quick, but none of Harry’s friends travelled the same way as him.  
He walked along the street path from the school into the city. He watched as more and more people passed by him the closer he got to the city, the unmistakable smell of thick air growing stronger. The walk only took 15 minutes before he arrived at his destination. 

The house he stopped at was small. It looked like every other building in the street, with only a small space between the neighboring houses, and a small garden in the front yard. A large window with a seat on the inside of the house covered the front allowing him to see into a small living room. A footpath lead through the front yard, to the red front door. Across from the house was a park, lined with trees and park benches. Harry smiled at the sight of the house, his heart skipping a beat. The anxiety that had swarmed his chest calmed down as he entered the front gate. 

With a soft breath, Harry walked along the path to the front door, reaching into his school bag to acquire keys. The set of three jingled as he put the largest into the red door and turned. The door opened silently. 

Once inside, he shut the door behind him and stepped onto the wooden floorboards. He removed his shoes, and gently placed the keys on a small wooden table. With soft footsteps, Harry made his way to the kitchen, where he could here soft muttering and the flipping of paper. 

“Hey Sirius” Harry called. 

Sitting at the worn wooden kitchen table sat Sirius Black, his godfather. His hair was pulled back in a messy bun that had strands falling out at various angles. He wore black jeans and a black shirt, his feet bare against the linoleum kitchen floor. His skin was pale. He was biting his lip as he held up a sheet of paper. The table was covered in documents and folders and books, all open at various pages. 

Sirius looked up from the papers he studied, his expression turning from troubled to joyful as he saw Harry. A smile adorned his lips as he looked at his godson.

“Hey buddy,” his voice was soft, and Harry felt himself relax just from hearing him speak. 

“How was school?”

Harry shrugged. 

“We didn’t do much. Mostly watched movies.”

“God bless the last day of school,” Sirius chuckled, running his hands across his face, rubbing his eyes. 

“How are you going?” Harry tried to say it nonchalantly, but his voice cracked on the last word. There was no mistaking his fear. 

Harry’s shoulders were tense, curled up around his neck. He dropped his school bag to the floor beside him to relieve some of the strain on his shoulders. His glasses dug into the back of his ears, leaving him with a dull headache. 

Sirius looked at him with red rimmed eyes and sighed. He stood from the chair and Harry heard his back crack several times as he stretched. He walked over to Harry with slow, deliberate steps, before putting his arms around Harry, holding him to his chest. Harry felt the man sigh as his godson wrapped his arms around Sirius’s body. 

“I’m making progress, I promise.”

They stayed together like that for what felt like minutes, neither willing to let go for fear the other would disappear. Finally, Harry pulled back. Sirius held onto him still, his hands holding his shoulders as he looked at Harry’s face. 

“I may have found a lawyer, actually,” he smiled as he said it, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Yeah?”  
"I'm going to meet with him tomorrow. See if he will take on our case."

“Will he?” Harry whispered. He looked at his socked feet, one of his toes sticking out through a hole.

“Hey,” Sirius said, holding his hand against Harry’s cheek, pulling his gaze up until their eyes locked. “I promise you Harry, I will sort this out. You are never going back there. I am just making sure we have the best everything to make sure we win, ok?”

Harry saw the determination set in Sirius’s expression, and nodded. 

“Ok.”

“Alright,” Sirius looked over to the kitchen and the pages covering the table. “Looks like it might be another takeaway night.”

Harry laughed softly, which in turn pulled a chuckle out of Sirius, who once again wrapped his arms around his Godson, squeezing tightly.


	2. First Meetings

Sirius had bought the small apartment for Harry and him a few months back. It had been a year since he had been acquitted of the crimes he had been sent to prison for, and he was finally able to unlock his bank accounts to buy the home. He wasted no time moving in, and it was only a few weeks after buying the home that Harry moved in with him.  
The wallpaper was pealing throughout the entire house, the floorboards creaked with practically every step, and dust had covered the place. When Harry saw it for the first time, he had nearly cried from happiness. 

“I know it’s not much, but we can work on it. Fix it up, you know,” Sirius had hovered next to him, his nervousness creeping into his voice as he showed Harry into the unfurnished living room. 

“I understand if you don’t want to move in straight away, but I set a room up for you upstairs. Like I said, I know it’s not-”

Harry cut Sirius of by throwing himself into the man’s chest, wrapping his arms tightly around his body. 

“It’s perfect.”

Harry had first met Sirius in July when he was 14, just having finished his third year at Hogwarts. Sirius was fresh out of prison and Harry was living with the Dursleys. It was at the end of their first meeting Sirius had asked Harry if he wanted to come live with him.

A meeting had needed to be organized by a social worker the first time. Harry had gone to an office based in London without the Dursleys knowing. He had dressed himself up, wearing his best jeans that only had one hole in them and a shirt that, although still big, didn’t hang off his shoulders like his others. He used the spare change he had found throughout his daily chores to buy a bus ticket and prayed the phone call he had received a week earlier was not just a practical joke. He truly hoped his godfather truly wanted to meet him. 

When he arrived at the bright office, fluorescent lights shining off the white walls, he answered a series of questions from the lady at the front desk. When she wondered where his Aunt and Uncle were, he quickly lied, telling her they wanted him to have time with his godfather by himself. He had assured her they knew he was there and, to sell his lie, told her she could call his Aunt Petunia to check. She didn’t and Harry knees nearly gave out on him. Finally, the woman let up, and Harry went to sit in the waiting room on an old lumpy couch.

After a few minutes, a lady with kind brown eyes and black hair walked down the corridor with a clip board. Glancing around the waiting room, her eyes stuck on Harry, the only person there. She smiled and walked over to him. She wore a name tag that said Melissa. 

“Are you Harry?” She smiled at him and Harry shifted on the waiting room lounge.

He nodded and stood to meet her. Her eyes crinkled as her smile widened.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Melissa. How are you doing today, sweetheart?” She held out her hand to his. 

Harry blinked at the question, feeling his face go red. His chest was doing something funny, so he simply nodded. After wiping his sweaty palms against his pants, he shook her hand.

She chuckled at his reaction, not cruelly, but in a nice, understanding manner. 

“Someone has been positively dying to meet you, Harry,” she said, gesturing for him to follow her. “He has been all sorts of nervous.”

As they walked down the corridor lined with a number of doors, Harry wondered about what she had said. Someone wanted to meet him. His godfather wanted to meet him. He felt like fireworks had been set off in his chest. There was a wave of nerves flush over Harry, his palms still sweating, and his heart racing. He still felt cynical about the whole thing, but the idea that this was all some practical joke was slowly fading from his mind. It was all to elaborate. 

When Melissa stopped walking, Harry nearly ran into her, too lost in thought. She smiled; her kind eyes fixed on Harry. 

“You ready, sweetie?”

Harry nodded. 

When the door open Harry saw a man sitting inside on a small armchair. Upon hearing the door open, the man jumped to his feet and smoothed his wavy black hair down with his hand. He was dressed in a button up white shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. He swayed on the spot as he looked at Harry and Melissa, and Harry was unable to read his expression. 

“Harry, meet Sirius, your godfather,” Melissa said. 

Harry sent him a small, nervous smile and waved. 

It seemed that was all it took because Sirius was walking over to him, hurried steps and stiff movements. They stood together, face to face for what felt like minutes. Harry was  
sure Sirius was about to cry, his eyes watering and his sniffling giving him away. 

“Oh Harry,” Sirius breathed, his eyes rushing over harry, taking all of him in. “You look just like your father. Except your eyes. You have your mothers’ eyes.”

Harry had heard much the same from all his teachers, but he never tired hearing about his parents, even if it was because of his own looks. It brought a true smile onto his face which in turn brought a wet laugh out of Sirius. 

“May I hug you?” Sirius asked, his arms reaching out, stopping before touching him. 

Harry hesitated before nodding. Sirius didn’t waste any time, wrapping his arms around Harry’s small frame. Harry stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do with his arms. His head was tucked under Sirius chin, and he could smell the man’s cologne. 

When he was released, Harry took in his surroundings. The room was set up like it were a normal living room. Couches and chairs, a table, and toys lining shelves along the walls.  
All it lacked was a television. Harry noticed sitting on the small coffee table was a red and gold wrapped box. 

“Come in, come sit,” Sirius said, gesturing his hands to the couch and coffee table. 

Harry nodded. He became aware of how little he was talking and berated himself. Surely Melissa and Sirius must have wondered if something was wrong with him. But as he tried to come up with something to say, he ran blank.

He walked over to the makeshift living room with Sirius. Melissa split apart from them, heading to a chair in the corner of the room. 

“I, um,” Sirius turned to face him, looked away, looked back, and then settled on the present sitting on the table. “I got you a birthday present.”

“You got me a present?” Harry couldn’t keep the disbelief from his voice. His birthday had been a few days ago. He had only even received presents from Ron, Hermione and some years Hagrid, Hogwarts agriculture teacher. 

“I hope that was alright,” Sirius grabbed the present, holding it out to Harry with shaking fingers. 

Harry let out a small laugh and grabbed the box gingerly. He sat down on the couch as he started removing the gold ribbons. Sirius sat with him, far enough away so as not to crowd Harry, but close enough to see the contents of the box when Harry opened the lid. 

Inside was a small leather-bound book. It looked old and Harry ran his fingers along the front. 

“It’s a photo album, from when I was in school with your parents. I found it in storage and thought maybe you might like it.”

Harry’s eyes started to sting. He removed the album from the box, slowly opening it to the first page. Sure enough, a picture of his parents smiled at him, his father’s hair a mess just like his own, and his mother’s dimpled smile aimed at him. Next to his father stood a much younger Sirius in a leather jacket. 

Harry sniffled. 

“Thank you,” He breathed. “Thank you. I don’t, um, well didn’t have any photos of them. My Aunt and Uncle don’t like to talk about them.”

He looked over to Sirius, who looked as teary eyed as Harry felt. His expression was soft, open, and Harry felt a new wave of tears threaten to fall. 

“Would you like to know more about them?” Sirius asked. “I’ll tell ya, I have some stories about your father that’ll leave you pissing yourself. Oh, sorry, language.”

Harry laughed at the man’s vulgarity and nodded his head. 

“Yes, please. Tell me everything.”

Harry spent most the day there with Sirius, Melissa patiently watching over the two. He learnt about his parents, and why he had never been able to meet Sirius until now. He learnt how Sirius had been falsely accused of murder and had spent the past twelve years in prison. Sirius told him about how when he had been released four months beforehand, he had wasted no time. He spent the time between then and now undergoing psych evaluations and different procedures all in hopes of finally getting to see Harry again. 

Harry told him all about school, his best friends Hermione and Ron and all the adventure they had. He told Sirius about the time he and Ron had skipped school to visit Hermione when she had been sick in hospital when they were 12. Harry talked about everything, except the Dursleys. 

When the day was finally ending, the sun starting to sink in the sky through the window and stories between the two thoroughly told, Sirius brought up the topic of Harry’s homelife. 

“I don’t know if anyone told you,” he started. “But before your parents died, they made me your guardian.”

Harry watched him as he spoke, listening as Sirius’s voice trembled slightly. 

“That means that if anything were to happen to them…”

Harry waited, anticipation running through his body, making his hands shake. 

“I know you live with your relatives, of course, and I understand if you wanted to stay with them,” Sirius said. “But… if you ever wanted a different home … well my name has been cleared now.”

Harry gut felt like it had suddenly developed a career as a gymnast. 

“What, you mean, I can come live with you?”

“I understand if you want to stay with your Aunt and Uncle but-”

“Are you mad?” said Harry, his voice croaky and low. “Of course I want to leave the Dursleys. When can I move in? Do you have a house?”

Sirius frowned at him, before his eyes brightened. He let out a disbelieving laugh. 

Sirius looked over to Melissa. 

“Can we do that?”

Harry looked over to Melissa as well, pleading with his eyes for her to say yes. She looked between the two of them, and for the first time, Harry noticed she was not smiling. She stared at him, and Harry couldn’t decide what she was thinking, only that something was puzzling her. 

Finally, she shook her head and raised her eyebrows in thought. 

“Well, as long as your current guardians sign the legal documents required, it should be fine.”

Harry felt an excited scream develop in the back of his throat and he fought to keep it down. 

“Of course they will. Uncle Vernon is always saying he wants to get rid of me. This is perfect!”

Harry didn’t notice that both Sirius and Melissa were now looking at him in concern. He was too caught up in the euphoria of hope.

It was that moment that Sirius looks back on now that he hard Harry safe in his care. The quickness of Harry wanting to move in with what was basically a stranger was the first warning sign of his godson’s abuse. It would be months later, the Dursley's refusing to sign the documents, and Harry showing up on his doorstep with a black eye and bruised arm for everything to finally add up in Sirius’ mind. 

It was then he knew he wouldn’t stop until Harry was legally allowed to stay with him. He would never let those monsters get away with hurting his godson, and he would die before he let them get their hands on Harry’s money.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I had to indulge in a bit of background. The next chapter is back to it all.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> Please feel free to comment any thoughts, comments. Don't be mean :).


	3. Morning routines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the things I have always headcannoned, is Sirius being really good for Harry in the way that he lets him act his age.  
> Most adults see him as the savior of the wizarding world, but for Sirius he has always just been Lily and James' child, his godson, which is what I wanted to show in this chapter.  
> Let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated!

Harry awoke to the morning sunlight streaming in through his open window. It was the kind of light that hinted at either an early morning or a rainy day, cloudy and unsure. Harry stretched in the bed, feeling the soft sheets brush against his skin. 

He reached over to his nightstand, brushing his fingers against the round edges of his glasses. Harry picked them up and shoved them onto his face, welcoming his sight. 

His room was not large, nor was is small. A double bed sat against the wall furthest from the door and above it was a square window. The duvet was a simple blue colour with matching sheets. Opposite his bed was a dresser. Despite having four drawers, Harry had only managed to fill one. When he had moved in, he had only brought his school stuff; homework, uniform, books, and the photo album Sirius had given him for his birthday. Sirius has since taken him shopping, but Harry refused to get more than was strictly necessary. A spare set of clothes and his school uniform was all he had needed at the Dursleys. 

Harry sat up in bed. The covers fell to his waste, and his bed-shirt hung of his shoulders. The morning air formed goosebumps along his arms. He pulled his legs to the edge of the bed, his bare feet hitting the wooden floor. He could feel the accumulation of dirt beneath his feet and made a mental note to vacuum his floor later in the day. 

He knew Hermione and Ron’s planes had both departed by now. Hermione said she would be leaving the Friday night, the time her family had found would fit perfectly for the different time zones. Ron would have left early this morning. His parents had learnt the trick to saving money on flights was to leave at times others believed humanly impossible. Ron had been complaining about it for weeks on end until Ginny had called him a crybaby after listening to ten minutes of his whining.

As he walked out of his room and down the creaky stairs, Harry’s mind stayed on his friends. The idea of not telling them everything that had been going on with him left knots in his stomach. Especially when he thought how he had never even told them of Sirius’s existence.

When things had first come out with meeting Sirius, Harry had refrained from telling his friends. There was a barrier in his mind that cut of his words whenever he thought of telling them. Ron and Hermione had faced everything with him. They were the closest people to him and the only people that knew how the Dursleys affected him. He knew he should have told them he was safe with Sirius, had been for the past months, but something stopped him every time. Something inside him thought telling them everything would cause it all to disappear, a jinx, that would break the spell and send him packing back to the Dursleys. 

Then the matter of the custody battle had arose and summer was quickly approaching, Ron and Hermione already planning to leave, and Harry had shut them out. He tried to convince himself it was for their benefit, to protect his friends from the shitfest that was his life, but there was a part of himself that knew otherwise. 

Telling them would cement everything, and Harry couldn’t cope with the reality that was coming for him. 

Harry made his way to the kitchen after descending the stairs. There was a small hole in the floorboards near the fridge which he avoided from habit. The window above the sink looked out into the small backyard full of overgrown grass and weeds. Harry made a mental note to get started on the yard work now that he was out of school. 

From the fridge he pulled out a carton of milk and eggs. He opened one of the cupboards and pulled a pan out tactfully to avoid making any noise. He had much experience from making breakfast for the Dursleys, who did not appreciate early mornings. Gathering all the equipment, he set about making scrambled eggs. 

By the time he heard Sirius start to descend the stairs, the eggs had finished cooking and Harry was portioning them onto two plates. 

He sat at the table, shoveling eggs into his mouth when Sirius walked in, yawning and rubbing his eyes. His hair resembled Harry’s, the black mess fluffy and sticking up in different spots. As Sirius shuffled into the room, Harry monitored him, checking if he had stayed up too late. When he went to the cupboard to obtain the instant coffee, Harry knew he had. The man hated instant coffee. 

“How did you sleep?” Harry asked anyway. 

Sirius turned to him and shot him a tired smile.

He slurped his coffee as he moved to sit across from Harry at the small wooden table. 

“As well as any other night,” Sirius responded. “What about you?”

Harry shrugged. His eyes felt puffy and he wondered if there were bags under them. He had stayed up late last night, watching the light shine from Sirius room through the cracks of his closed bedroom door. He fell asleep shortly after the light finally shut off around 1 AM. 

“I have that meeting today,” Sirius said, used to Harry’s non answers. “I’m heading into London around nine if you want to come with.”

They didn’t live too far away from central London. If Harry wanted to go, it would only be a quick bus trip to the town. 

“Who’s the meeting with?”

Sirius shifted in his seat. His eggs were barely touched. Harry’s plate was cleared. 

“One of my cousins’ husband. He’s one of the best lawyers around. Hopefully I can convince him to take our case.”

“Do you think he will?” Harry asked through a mouthful of eggs. “I thought you said you didn’t get on with your family.”

“I don’t,” Sirius coughed. “But hopefully we can work something out. This particular cousin is a little more reasonable than the others.”

Harry nodded. The clock on the microwave chimed at the hour, the lights reading 8:00. 

“I might come with you, if that’s ok?”

Sirius grinned at him.

“Of course, buddy. You better go get dressed. I can clean up all this.”

Harry started to protest, but Sirius shot him a look that told him it would be useless. He laughed at Sirius’s determination, before running up the stairs to the bathroom. 

The second floor consisted of three rooms. The master bedroom, which was Sirius’s room, the spare room, Harry’s, and in between them the bathroom, complete with a bath and shower. Harry made quick work showering himself, mostly using the water to wash the sleep from his face. Once he emerged, he looked in the foggy mirror and attempted to flatten his wet hair. It refused to smooth out. 

Harry left the bathroom with a stream of fog following him. He headed to his bedroom with his red towel wrapped around his waist. He made quick work opening his drawer and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a black shirt.

When he walked down the stairs, he could hear Sirius humming along to a pop song on the radio. The static cut the song out every few minutes, but the tune was kept up by Sirius’s deep voice. Harry stood in the archway between the living room and kitchen. He bopped his head along to the music, smiling at Sirius own movements. 

Sirius turned to face Harry his movements becoming more exaggerated as he looked to his godson. Sirius brought the dishes scrubbing brush up to his lips to use as a pretend microphone.

“In the midnight hour, I can feel your power,” Sirius sang along to the words, his voice growing louder and deliberately bad. “Just like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there.”

He pointed at Harry, rolled his shoulders, bounced his head. Harry laughed, loud and uncontrollable. Sirius strutted towards him, still singing along. He grabbed Harry’s hands, pulling him into the living room. Sirius twirled around him, still holding the scrubbing brush to his mouth singing the words. It wasn’t long before Harry joined in, singing off key and loudly. They danced and twirled around the living room, Sirius prompting Harry’s movements. 

When the song fizzled out, Harry stopped his movements awkwardly, still smiling a smile that shone through his eyes. Sirius heaved in exaggerated breaths. He held his hands on his hips. 

“Got to love Madonna,” Sirius chuckled. “I used to bust a move to that woman when I was your age, I tell you.”

“You’re that old?”

“Oi!” Sirius exclaimed, with no true heat in his voice. 

Harry chuckled. Sirius wiped his wet hands along Harry’s face, causing him to yelp. 

“Serves you right,” Sirius laughed. He sniffed, then looked down to himself. 

“Guess I better get dressed.”

When they finally left the house at 9:08, they walked side by side to the bus stop. Sirius was dressed much like he had been when Harry had first met him, button up shirt and jeans. He had his hair pulled back into a bun as he usually did, and his face was clean shaven. 

Despite the abundance of money Sirius had hinted at having, he had never wanted to indulge in anything more than the simple life. Or so he had told Harry. This was why instead of moving into his old family home, which was practically a mansion, Sirius had bought the small unit they now lived in. It also explained why they took public transport. That, and Sirius was still working on fixing his bike’s engine.

When the bus arrived, Sirius payed for both his and Harry’s ticket, and ushered Harry to the back seats.

“It’s where the cool kids sit, Harry.”

Harry just smirked at his godfather. 

They rode to the city in mostly silence. Sirius tried to start up a game of spotto, but only one yellow car passed them on the short trip. The bus smelt stale and the engine sounded dodgy but the two never complained. 

When they arrived at the city center, they departed from the bus, Harry thanking the driver as they passed him. Sirius walked with confident steps through the streets. Harry tried to keep up with his quick pace while watching everyone around him, dodging left and right to get out of other’s way. 

They quickly came across a generic multistory building. The people entering and leaving it all wore three-piece suits of various designs. One man even wore an eye monocle, which both Harry and Sirius found amusing. Sirius ushered him into the revolving doors before Harry could comment on the place. 

They entered into a large lobby. It looked to be furnished like a rich person’s house, with gold trimming along furniture and luxurious cabinets. Ahead of the them was a receptionist desks. 

“Harry, can you go and wait over there for me?” Sirius pointed to a couch by the corner of the room. 

Harry nodded. He wanted nothing more than to stay with Sirius and his hand itched to hold onto his godfathers. He refused the urge, berating himself for acting like such a child. Without a word he went to sit on the green lounge with silver trimmings set up in the corner of the room. As he sat, he watched as his godfather spoke quick words to the receptionist before making his way to the elevator.


	4. Getting a Lawyer

Sirius stormed up the hallway, refusing to let anyone stop him. A lady called for him to stop but he shook his head and kept travelling. Although he had told Harry about the meeting, Sirius had omitted telling his godson it was not a booked thing. He hadn’t wanted to worry his already anxious godson. Sirius had noticed the deepening bags under his eyes and the vacant stares aimed at nothing. 

Reaching the end of the hallway, Sirius quickly scanned the various doors and their name plaques. On the left, he saw the name he was after; L. Malfoy. Without thinking twice, he ripped the door open. 

Inside, Lucius Malfoy was sitting behind his grand office desk. The desk was vacant of all files, instead holding only ornaments and picture frames. The man himself sat in a large leather office chair, platinum hair pulled back in a ponytail and his office phone pressed to his ear. He looked at Sirius with wide eyes and a thin pressed mouth. 

“Excuse me, Winfred, I am going to have to call you back.”

Sirius stepped into the office. His eyes were locked with Malfoys. Behind him, Sirius heard the patter of running footsteps. 

“Sir,” a young woman burst into the room, her hair in disarray and her breath shallow. “Sir, you can’t be here. I am so sorry Mr. Malfoy, I tried to stop…” Malfoy held up his hand, halting the woman’s rant. 

“Mr. Black. To what do I owe the displeasure.”

Malfoy placed the phone down on his desk and ushered the woman away with a small wave of his hand. She left quickly, shutting the door behind her. Sirius’s expression remained stoic. 

“I need a lawyer.”

Lucius smirked at him, his eyes cruel and disinterested. 

“My, that didn’t take long. It’s been, what, a year since you left jail. Already falling back into bad habits, I see.”

Sirius clenched his hand into a fist, tightening it as hard as he could, before releasing his grip.

“Not quite.”

Sirius walked towards the desk and sat in one of the armchairs without invitation. 

“I need custody of my godson. His relatives refuse to sign the paperwork and are taking the matter to court. I need a lawyer that will make sure I win,” Sirius closed his eyes. “Sad as it is for me to admit, you are my best option.”

Malfoy looked at him with disinterest. 

“There are plenty of other lawyers you could be bothering with this. I hardly see why you have come to me.”

Malfoy rose from his seat. He opened his desk draw and pulled out a small file. He began flicking through it, content to ignore Sirius. 

“If you take on our case, I will make it worth your time,” Sirius said through gritted teeth, trying to keep the desperation and anger out of his voice. 

“Do you think I care what you can pay? I am the most sought-after lawyer in Britain, Black. I don’t need to take on any case for the money.”

“No,” Sirius agreed. “But I am not paying money.”

At that, Malfoy looked up from the file he was rifling through. He raised an eyebrow. 

“You married my cousin, Narcissa Black.”

“Yes,” Malfoy rolled his eyes. “I am aware of my wife’s relation to you. As disturbing as I find it, I hardly see how it matters. I am not about to help you out of familiar obligations.”

Sirius smirked. 

“No, but you might do it if your wife knew she would receive all of the Black family’s priceless heirlooms, including the manor.”

That got Malfoys attention. He closed the file and placed it face down on the desk. His eyes roamed over Sirius, who didn’t shy away from the other man’s piercing gaze. His suit jacket was placed over his chair, leaving the Malfoy in his white button up and black vest. He fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeve as he mulled over what Sirius said. 

“What makes you think my wife would be interested in that silly stuff?”

“She practically begged me for it when Mother died. Didn’t you hear?”

Begged was an exaggeration. Narcissa had screamed at him he was unworthy of the family title and assets. He could still remember her saying she wished in were him who had died, rather than Regulus. Sirius had never said as much, but he agreed with everything she said. Still, the slight exaggeration was enough to interest Malfoy, who sat down in his leather chair, eyes assessing Sirius. 

“Alright, Black. Tell me, if I were to take on your case, what makes you think you could win. Who in their right mind would trust you with a child?”

Sirius didn’t have to think. 

“Lily and James Potter, that’s who.”

Malfoy stilled and for the first time since Sirius had stormed into the room, he saw a crack in Malfoys mask. Malfoy sighed. 

“The Potter boy,” he grumbled. “Of course.”

“You know about Harry?” 

Sirius neck tightened at the thought and his eyes narrowed at Malfoy. 

Malfoy hummed, closing his eyes. 

“Mr. Potter attends school with my boy, Draco. I believe they are in the same year.”

Huh, Sirius thought. He remembered his cousin had been pregnant the same time as Lily, but he never thought much on the subject. For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful about their situation. 

“So you will take our case?”

“The wish of Lily and James Potter for you to have custody over Mr. Potter before you became an ex-convict will hardly hold up in a court of law, Mr. Black,” he raised his chin, looking down his nose at Sirius. 

Sirius felt his heart rate increase. A sharp anger was building in his chest and his breath was coming out in short huffs. 

“This isn’t a case you can win, especially if the family Mr. Potter has been living with for the past 13 years refuse to sign over guardianship. I am sure they would do a much better job at parenting the boy than you, anyway. Its best you give up.”

“Fuck you,” Sirius spat, leaping to his feet. The anger he had been repressing for the past few months came surfacing up and was bellowing out of his mouth before he could think. 

“If they have done such a good job, then why did Harry show up on my doorstep covered in bruises. That boy is fucking terrified of that family and the very idea of going to live with them again has sent him into multiple panic attacks. If you really think they could do a better job than me, then I got a full fucking file of photos that proves otherwise.”

Sirius was panting by the end of the tirade. His throat was sore from his hoarse shouts and he was unable to control the shaking of his hands. He closed his eyes and disappointment washed over him. He was upset with the situation, and with Malfoy, but mostly himself and his outburst. He wanted to punch Malfoy and keep screaming at him.  
He wanted to weep and hold Harry close, never letting him go. 

“The family abused the boy?”

Sirius opened his eyes, ready to start screaming at the man in front of him, before he saw Malfoys reaction. His jawline set and his eyes narrowed, Malfoy looked the angriest Sirius had ever seen the man. Even his cheeks were tinted pink again his pale white skin, something that Sirius had only seen once on a prank gone wrong against Malfoy back in High School. 

Sirius nodded. Exhaustion swept over him and he sunk back down into the chair.

“And you have proof?”

“Harry’s friend made him take photos. I have a copy of them,” Sirius stated softly. 

Malfoy gave one sharp nod. He paused for a couple of minutes before speaking again.

“Give me everything you have on the case. I am not saying I will take it, but I will see if there is something I can work with.”

 

Harry waited down in the lobby on the seat Sirius had asked him to wait on. To pass the time, he watched the people coming into the lobby through the revolving doors. 

An old lady with a fur coat had strutted in, walking up to the receptionist with a rather demanding presence. She started yelling at the poor lady behind the desk the moment she reached it. Harry couldn’t make out the words, but he watched the woman behind the desk floundering for the phone. After her, a man with a large round belly and a handlebar moustache bounced in, his booming footsteps enough to shake the floor. He stopped to talk to a man heading out, his jovial laugh echoing throughout the first floor. 

It had been thirty minutes since Sirius had left him, and his bladder was making itself known as full. Harry shifted around in his seat but when it became apparent he would be unable to hold it any longer, he stood. He walked over the receptionist with soft footsteps, hyperaware of the soft clicks his movements made against the marble floor. 

Harry stood at the desk, quietly waiting while the woman finished typing on her computer. 

“Excuse me,” Harry said once she finally looked up. “Is there a bathroom I can use?”

The woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“My godfather is in a meeting upstairs. He told me to wait here.”

Finally she nodded, pointing to the end left wall where a pair of doors resided in the far corner. 

He quickly made his way to the bathroom. 

When he returned to the lobby, he started to head back to his seat when her heard a voice he would recognize anywhere. An unmistakable drawl that had Harry’s skin crawling. 

“Mother,” Draco Malfoy said. “When we get to Paris, will we be heading straight to our vacation house, or can we visit Grandmother first?”

Draco Malfoy stood at the reception desk wearing a white button up shirt and a pair of slacks. His hair was gelled back in its usual style. Beside him stood a tall woman with hair as blonde as Malfoys. She wore an elegant black dress and a brown fur coat. 

“I think its best to decide when we get there, darling,” she responded without looking up from the form she was filling out. 

Harry stood as still as possible. His eyes were wide, and his mouth had fallen open. He was struggling to decide if he should sneak past them and head back to his seat, or to slink back into the bathroom, when he heard the elevator doors ding. From the opening doors emerged Sirius and what looked to be an adult Draco Malfoy. Harry figured it was Draco’s father. 

“Father,” Draco exclaimed cheerfully. 

Harry was right. Draco’s mother finally looked up from what she was doing. When her eyes caught on her husband and the man next to him, her entire body stilled. 

“Sirius,” she said sharply. 

Harry stood away from them all, watching the emotions run through Sirius’s face. His eyes were trained on Mrs. Malfoy who hadn’t taken her eyes off of him.

“Cissy,” Sirius said, surprised. “It’s been awhile.”

Sirius and Mr. Malfoy walked over to Draco and Mrs. Malfoy. The four stood beside the reception desk, Sirius and Narcissa’s eyes locked, Mr. Malfoy looking between the two and  
Draco looking thoroughly confused. Draco was the one to break the silence. 

“Who are you?” He demanded. 

“Draco! Don’t be rude,” his mother admonished. She still had not looked away from Harry’s godfather. “This is my cousin, Sirius Black.”

Draco looked up and down at Sirius, an unamused expression adorning his face. Harry felt his chest start to burn with anger. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together. He was so caught up in his anger at his high school arch nemesis, he didn’t hear the groups conversation until his name was being spoken. 

“I’m actually here with my godson, Harry. He was waiting for me over there by the…” Sirius trailed off as he looked over to the couch he had left Harry on, finding no trace of the boy. 

The Malfoys all followed Sirius’s gaze, Lucius and Narcissa delicately turning their heads, Malfoy straining his neck. 

“Um,” Harry coughed to get their attention. “I’m over here.”

They all turned to look at him, Sirius looking relieved as he glanced over Harry. The gaze of all the Malfoys had Harry shrinking his neck into his shoulders. His wide eyes shifted  
over all of them, and his stomach felt ill. 

Harry’s eyes stuck on Draco, who looked puzzled at seeing him. The unfamiliar setting only threw Malfoy off for a few moments though, and it didn’t take long before his trademark smirk was being directed at Harry. Malfoy's eyes were shining with gleeful mirth and he started to open his mouth, Harry knowing he was about to make a smartarsed remake at his expense. Before the words came out though, Malfoy's father spoke. 

“Mr. Potter,” he stepped up to Harry holding his hand out. “My name is Lucius Malfoy. I am going to be your new lawyer.”

“What?” Harry disbelieving. 

“What!” Draco shrieked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draco, bullies Harry: Is this flirting?
> 
> Sorry this chapter was a bit rushed. I kind of imagined that as much as he is a bad dude, Lucius Malfoy does not condone child abuse, and so when he found out about Harry's relatives and saw him his 'Cut Throat Dad Mode'TM kicked in. 
> 
> Let me know what you think.


	5. Old Friends

A week had passed since Lucius Malfoy had agreed to be Sirius and Harry’s lawyer. 

Throughout that time Harry had thrown himself into the housework. He had managed to clear most of the backyard by mowing and weeding the extravagant mess. He helped Sirius find furniture for the living room, which they collected from a small op shop not far from their house. They found a nice red couch and comfortable brown armchair that Harry placed near the small fireplace. Sirius had even bought a small television, which they watched together most nights after dinner, flicking through crappy reality shows and overdone soap operas. By the end of the week, Harry had even fixed the hole in the kitchen floor while Sirius was out one day. 

Throughout the days Harry was doing the housework, Sirius was meeting with Mr. Malfoy about the upcoming custody hearing. A letter had arrived on the Tuesday, and although Harry hadn’t been allowed to read it, Sirius had told him a court date was set three weeks from now. On the days Sirius met with Mr. Malfoy, he came home with slumped shoulders and takeaway containers, intent to ignore Harry’s insistence that he would cook. During that week, Sirius’s eyes were permanently rimmed red from exhaustion and his hair remained frizzy and ungroomed. 

On the Friday afternoon, Harry overheard a one-sided phone conversation between Sirius and Mr. Malfoy. Despite talking in hushed tones, Harry could hear the stress in Sirius’ voice. 

“I understand, Malfoy,” Sirius whispered. “Why didn’t you just send them off without you? It isn’t like they need to stay for this.”

Harry was sitting at the top of the stairs hugging the railing while he listened to Sirius. 

“I know, I know!”

Sirius was getting frustrated, his volume rising.

“Soon, alright! The longer Harry stays out of this, the better it is for him. He doesn’t need to know all the details, ok Malfoy.”

Harry bolted to his room the second he heard Sirius hang up the phone. When Harry heard his godfather walk past his room later that night, he pulled the covers over his head and  
pretended to be asleep. 

 

By Saturday, Harry had worn out and irritable. Each night he slept less and less due to nightmares about his Uncle and he had already spent his days cleaning everything in the house that could be cleaned. 

Each day before he left for his meetings with Malfoy, Sirius encouraged Harry to head out, go out with friends, do anything. Each time Harry told him the standard response. 

“I don’t mind doing the housework. Besides, Ron and Hermione are both away.”

“Surely you have other friends,” Sirius said every time, to which Harry always responded,

“Not really.”

It was on the Saturday morning when Sirius had enough. 

Harry was sweeping the wooden living room floors in jagged, frantic movements when Sirius came flouncing into the room. 

“Put down that broom, my dearest godson!” Harry stilled immediately, propping the broom up against the wall. 

Harry wore the same shirt and jeans he had been wearing the day before. His hair was even messier than it usually was and there were smudges on his glasses that he was too lazy to clean. When he looked at Sirius, Harry noticed for the first time in the week, the man had pulled his hair back into a ponytail and shaved his face. 

Harry hummed quizzically, unsure how else to respond to Sirius’ comment. 

“Today we are doing something special. Today, I have planned one of the greatest surprises and you will ever receive in your life, Harry!”

Harry squinted his eyes, unsure where the conversation was going. Sirius was buzzing with a chaotic energy that Harry had become accustomed to. 

“What is it?”

Sirius rolled his eyes, still smiling a knowing smile.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you,” Sirius practically sang. “Come on, let’s go!”

With that, he practically skipped to the front door. Begrudgingly, Harry ran a quick hand through his hair and followed him. 

 

They were walking down a crowded street lined with various shops when Harry lost track of Sirius. 

After leaving the house, they had walked for over 20 minutes, Sirius talking fast and cheerily, Harry listening contently. It was nearing half an hour of walking and Harry was starting to tire from the distance. He was unsure why they couldn’t have just taken a bus. Between the pull of the crowd pushing Harry forward and backwards, and Sirius’s quick, excited strides, it was inevitable they would be split apart. 

Harry didn’t immediately worry when he lost sight of Sirius in the crowd. His Aunt Petunia was known for losing track of him when she took him and Dudley grocery shopping with her. The first few times it happened, Harry had panicked and cried, but his Aunt always found him before heading home, piling bags of groceries into his arms while reprimanding him for not staying with her. It was never intentional that Harry separated himself, and before he was seven, he realized she was purposefully losing him. One less thing to worry about. Soon enough, he knew to wait for her outside whatever shop she was visiting, ready to pick up the bags she shoved in his direction. Dudley always stuck his tongue out at his cousin, chewing on whatever treat his mother had bought him while Harry struggled under the weight of all the bags. 

Despite his experience with being lost, this was the first time he had been separated form Sirius in a crowded area. Harry could feel his breathes coming out shorter and he felt the swell of panic bubble in his chest. Due to his short stature, Harry was unable to look over the height of the adults surrounding him to spot his godfather. Harry knew the man couldn’t be far off as he had been next to Harry only a moment ago. Harry thought about calling out for Sirius but was unsure he would be loud enough over the sound of traffic and travelling footsteps. 

It was then a large, heavyset man bumped into Harry, shoving his shoulder and causing him to stumble.

“Oi, watch it!” The man’s deep voice yelled at him.

He barely had time to apologies before another body was knocking into him, sending him flying to the ground. He could feel the sting of his cut palms before he saw the red cuts. His arms began to shake violently, making it harder for him to pull himself up from the ground. 

He was no longer lying on a footpath. In his mind, Harry saw the inside of his cupboard, the dark room suffocating him with its stuffy, thick air. He felt the already tight walls closing in on him. He could hear his uncle yelling, spitting his words through heavy breaths. Even as the shouts got louder, ringing in his ears, Harry was unable to make out the words.

Harry didn’t know how long he was stuck to the footpath. He could feel footsteps walk around and over him. He was unable to move. His legs felt stiff and immovable and his arms were jello. The longer he stayed down, the surer he was that he was going to die, either from the stampede of people who were soon to get sick of stepping over him, or from suffocating. 

He was coming to accept the though of his own death when a hand gripped his forearm tight enough to bruise and pulled him up. He felt strong arms grip his midsection, and panic overwhelmed him. He was being pulled to the side of the footpath near a building when the ringing in his ears gave way to words. 

“Harry, come on, look at me,” soft words were being spoken in his ear. A hand was pressed to his chest, just over his heart, and instead of panicking, he found the gentle touch comforting. 

When his eyesight refocused, he was expecting to see Sirius hugging him from behind. He was not expecting to see a ragged man dressed in an old suit with rushed patch jobs fixing the torn fabric. The man had sandy brown hair and kind hazel eyes. He was encouraging Harry to breathe, demonstrating the breathes by counting. 

Once the panic and fear subsided, it took a moment for Harry to recognize the man in front of him. 

“Professor Lupin?”

The man gave him a tired smile. 

“Hello Harry.”

Harry was about to ask the man a question when he heard Sirius shouting his name from up the street. From the side, Harry was now able to see Sirius in the crowd. His godfather was frantically searching for him, shoving people out of the way as he looked. Harry lifted his arm up, waving slowly for his godfather to see. He could tell the moment Sirius noticed him, relief spreading across the man’s face as he threw his back and ran through the crowd to his godson. 

Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry the second he was close enough. Harry could feel the tremble in Sirius’s arms matching his own shakiness. Sirius pulled back to look at his face.

“Don’t do that!” He demanded.

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled. 

Sirius sighed, before beginning to pat down Harry. 

“Are you hurt? What happened?”

Harry released a shaky laugh. He grabbed his godfather’s wrist before he could continue fussing. 

“I am fine Sirius, it was nothing. I just tripped over.” he lied. “Professor Lupin helped me up.”

Finally, Sirius noticed the other person in their presence. When his eyes caught onto the man, Sirius’ body stilled. He no longer looked at Harry. Instead his eyes were locked on Professor Lupins. Sirius’s expression was harrowing, and Harry was taken aback by the heartbreak that crossed through his godfathers’ eyes. 

“Remus.”

Harry’s eyes squinted, and he looked to Professor Lupin, shocked to find the man looked as lost as Sirius. Professor Lupin didn’t respond to Sirius. Instead his mouth had fallen open and looked to be struggling for words.

“You two know each other?” Harry asked, breaking the depressing staring competition the two had going on. 

Sirius tilted his head at Harry’s question, finally breaking eye contact with Lupin as he looked to his godson. The look made Harry feel like he had asked a silly question. 

“Yes, Harry. We know each other.”

It was Professor Lupin who answered him, drawing Harry and Sirius’s gaze back to him.

“Hello, Sirius,” his voice was hoarse. “It’s been awhile.”

Sirius was incapable of talking, instead jerking his head in attempted nod. Everyone remained silent for a moment, listening to the honking of cars and shouts of pedestrians as they waited for someone to speak. Sirius had gone pale and his eyes were still bulging. 

“Sirius, are you alright?” Harry asked his godfather, lifting his hand to pat the man’s arm.

‘Huh,” Sirius said, before shaking his head in a manner resembling a dog. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine, Harry. Sorry.”

Sirius smiled an unconvincing smile, lips wobbly and eyes glassy. He cleared his throat. 

“Right,” he said abruptly. “Uh, thank you, Remus, for helping Harry out. I got a bit excited, and lost track of him.”

Professor Lupin gave him a small smile. His eyes still looked lost. 

“Sounds like something you would do,” despite the teasing nature of his voice, the words were soft. 

They stared at each other a little longer. Harry was beginning to feel like he was intruding so he averted his eyes from the two, studying his shoes and quirking his lips in discomfort. After a few moments, he cleared his throat, hoping it would distract the two men. 

Sure enough, it worked. 

“Right, uh, well. Are you living near here now, or…?” Sirius stumbled over the words.

“Uh, yeah. I moved back a couple of years ago,” Professor Lupin answered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I got a job teaching at Hogwarts, actually. It’s how I recognised Harry.”

“Oh,” Sirius breathed. “Harry’s not mentioned you.”

The two fell silent, and Harry felt the need to apologies for never mentioning Professor Lupin to Sirius. It wasn’t that he didn’t like him as a teacher, in fact he had become one of Harry’s favorites. It was just the topic never arose. Harry opened his mouth to say something when Professor Lupin started talking. 

“Where are you two heading in such a rush, anyway?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“The kennel,” Sirius said automatically at the same time as Harry responded,

“It’s a surprise.”

Harry tilted his head. What. He looked at Sirius. 

“Wait, what?”

“Crap,” Sirius swore. “I wasn’t meant to tell you that!”

Professor Lupin laughed softly, holding his hand over his lips. Sirius groaned, smacking his forehead. 

“I see you still can’t keep a secret, Sirius.”

“What?” Harry repeated, completely lost. 

“I was doing so well!” Sirius exclaimed. “We were almost there! You’re getting the blame for this, Moony. You got me distracted!”

Sirius pointed his finger at Professor Lupin who only laughed harder, holding his hands up in surrender. The two had overcome all awkwardness, and the friendly nature between them was unmistakable. There was the same tension there as before, but now Harry knew it was not hostile. 

“Nice to see you haven’t changed a bit, Sirius,” Professor Lupin said. 

The words sobered the two up. They regressed back to their sad staring until Sirius finally spoke.

“Right, well. I suppose we better get going Harry,” Sirius’s eyes hadn’t left Professor Lupin, and neither looked ready to say goodbye. “This dog isn’t going to pick itself.”

“Wait,” Harry looked at Sirius, his eyebrows furrowed. He ran the sentence through his head, key words dog and pick playing over and over again. “You’re not kidding? We are getting a dog.”

“Figured you could use a new friend, seeing as you kept telling me Ron and Hermione were away.”

“No way!” Harry shouted shrilly, ignoring both Sirius and Remus who chuckled at his reaction.

He played the interaction through his mind, pinched himself to check he wasn’t sleeping. 

“Are we actually?” He asked in disbelief.

Sirius had a mischievous grin across his face, and he glanced to Professor Lupin who was trying to hide his own amusement. 

Harry would deny it afterwards, but when Sirius nodded, he screamed from excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!  
> Finally managed to write Remus into the story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, there will be more of him to come!  
> Let me know what you thought!


	6. Meet Snuffles

Harry found the kennel to be both a joyful and exhausting experience. After saying goodbye to Professor Lupin, something which took much longer than was normal, Harry and Sirius headed up the street to a small vet clinic. The interaction between the two men was something Harry made a mental note to ask Sirius about later, but at that moment he couldn’t keep his mind off the thought of getting a dog. Harry had been buzzing the entire walk, continuously asking Sirius if this were a joke, if he was sure, and could they really get a dog. 

Each time Sirius patiently explained that no, this wasn’t a joke, yes, he was sure, and yes, they could really get a dog. He even said Harry would be the one to pick it.  
When they entered the small clinic, Harry noticed it smelt of sterile cleaning products. Despite not seeing any animals he could hear the chitter of barking and a resurge of excitement bubbled in his chest. 

Sirius walked up to the lady behind the desk, who gave him a beaming smile. She was beautiful, her blonde hair shining with each movement and her white teeth displayed in her perfect smile. She managed to make the red and black vet scrubs fashionable. She didn’t look much older than Harry, and her badge said trainee.

“Are you Sirius?” She asked. She spoke with a French accent.

“That’s me,” Sirius responded, sending her a charming smile. 

“My name is Fleur. We spoke on ze phone earlier.”

She reached her hand out and Sirius shook it. Her nails were painted red. 

“It is lovely to meet you Fleur.”

“I am glad to hear you will be adopting from us. Is this your godson you were telling me about?

“Yep, this is Harry,” Sirius said somewhat proudly, budding Harry forward by the shoulder.

Fleur’s gaze fell on Harry and she gave him a kind smile. He shot back what was meant to be a smile but better resembled a grimace. 

“’Ello Harry. Are you ready to come and pick ze’ puppy?” She asked Harry. 

The question sounded like something you would ask a child, but Fleur managed to avoid sounding condescending, her tone closer resembling excitement on Harry’s behalf. Harry nodded, this time managing a true smile. 

She led them out the back through a small door behind the reception desk. As they walked through the corridor, Fleur chatted about the dogs available for adoption.

“We have older dogs that have been with us for years. Zey are just dying for a forever home, but if it is a puppy you have your heart set on, we have a few breeds available as vell.”

“We aren’t really sure what we are after,” Sirius answered. “But I bet Harry will know when he sees them.”

He smiled down at Harry who suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of pressure. It was such a big decision and he was beginning to worry he might choose wrong. What if he picked a dog that destroyed everything, and Sirius decided to get rid of the dog and Harry for choosing it. As the thought consumed Harry, Sirius and Fleur continued talking about the options available. 

They walked down the corridor into a small room lined with metal fences. Inside the fences, blocked off from each other’s cages, were several dogs of varying sizes. The majority looked to be a mixture of breeds with no definite features of only one type of dog. 

There was a litter of small sandy coloured dogs in one kennel, the mother dog overlooking her four pups with disinterest as the young ones yapped and fought each other. Next to the litter of pups was a small white ball of fluff that Harry couldn’t be sure was a dog. A few cages up there was a droopy eyes elderly dog that had large droplets of drool accumulating in its mouth. The cacophony of barking was becoming overwhelming and Harry struggled to think. 

“Ze noise can be a bit much,” Fleur said over the barking. “Don’t worry though, take your time. If you see someone you like, I can let zem out and you can get to know zem a little better.”

Harry was struggling to make his next move. He looked over the cages and his heart swelled at the idea of leaving all the animals here. He was shaking his head, eyes wide and searching over the kennels, when he heard a small arwhooph that garnered his attention. 

At the very end of the room, in the last kennel, sat a large black dog with scruffy hair and large paws. He was large enough to be a mastiff, but he looked to have another breed mixed in him as well. He laid with his belly flat on the cold concrete floor. His eyes watched the humans in the room, but he made no move of interest towards them. Not even his ears twitched when Fleur spoke.

Harry was intrigued by the dog’s attitude and walked slowly towards the cage, kneeling to get a better look at the scraggly dog. 

“You like this dog?” Fleur asked in her thick accent. 

Harry nodded slowly

“Is he ok? Is there something wrong him?” Harry asked, glancing away from the dog to Fleur.

“No, not at all,” Fleur responded. “That lovely boy is Snuffles. He is beautiful boy but has been here a very long time. One day, he stopped getting up when we brought people in. He lost hope of adoption. It has been very sad.”

Harry’s heart clenched at the thought of Snuffles losing hope someone would take him away from this place. He thought of his cupboard and how he would be if he were still stuck in that horrendous tight space. Harry wondered if he too would have lost hope. 

“Can I say hello to Snuffles?”

Fleur looked shocked, her eyes gone wide. She fumbled for her keys. 

“Of course, of course,” She knelt with Harry to unlock the cage. “Like I zay, he is a lovely boy.

Snuffles lifted his head as he heard the fumbling of his metal cage being opened. He looked at Harry and Fleur, and his tail thumped once on the concrete floor. Fleur cooed at him as she reached in to grab his collar. As she tugged gently, Snuffles got to his feet. He hung his neck low and slunk forward out of the cage. Harry stood and noticed Snuffles easily came to his waist in height. Fleur attached Snuffles to a lead and started leading the boys out of the room. 

“It is best to meet away from other puppies. Too overwhelming, oz’erwise.”

She walked Snuffles and the boys out of the small room and into a tiny fenced off yard. Harry and Sirius stayed a few steps behind her and Snuffles, who kept looking over his shoulder at the two, tail between his legs. 

“Ok,” Fleur started. “Harry, would you like to take ze lead.”

She handed the red rope out to Harry. He took it slowly. 

“Sirius, ve will stand back and let zem meet.”

The two walked a few steps away from the boy and dog. Harry stood with the rope in his hand. Snuffles was sticking low to the ground and it wasn’t long before he was planted to the grass like he had been the concrete indoors. 

“What do I do?” Harry asked Fleur. 

“Get to know ‘im. Slowly sit and gently pat Snuffles.”

Harry did as directed, and slowly sunk down on the grass strip next to Snuffles. He gently reached his hand over to dog’s large black head and gingerly ran his fingers over his ears. Harry repeated the movements until the dog eventually lifted his head to look at Harry. 

They sat like that for a few moments, Harry gently running his hands over Snuffle when something seemed to click in the dog’s head. Snuffles leapt to his feet, knocking Harry’s hand out of the way. Harry started to panic at the sudden movements, jerking his hands to his chest, when Snuffles long wet tongue ran itself over Harry’s face. 

A startled laugh escaped Harry and he soon had a lapful of dog as Snuffles buried his nose into Harry’s neck and started sniffing. Harry’s laughter got louder and soon Sirius was joining him with loud joyous barks of his own. His neck felt completely wet as the large dog ran his nose over Harry’s face.

“Zat is why he is called Snuffles,” Harry heard Fleur say over the excited sniffing next to his ear.

 

It didn’t take long for Harry and Sirius to make the decision. Snuffles was the dog for them. The adoption process was quick. Fleur was close to tears, kneeling and hugging Snuffles a number of times before the papers were signed. When they were finally ready to leave, Fleur having set them up with everything they could possibly need into two paper bags, Fleur made them promise to take care of her big boy.

“I promise,” Harry said standing straight. He held onto Snuffles lead. “I can even bring him back for visits if you like.”

Fleur engulfed him in a tight hug, nodding at his words. 

“I would love zat, Harry. You are a very kind boy.”

Harry blushed as she let go of him. He could feel Sirius waiting to tease him as they left the store, a sly smirk across his face. 

Sirius carried the two brown bags, smiling at his godson as they walked down the street. Despite being an enormous dog who was probably much stronger than Harry, Snuffles did not pull against Harry’s grip. Instead, he contently walked between Harry and Sirius with his head held high and his tail wagging. The walk home Harry repeatedly thanked Sirius, gushing about Snuffles and how amazing this surprise had been.

They were a street over from home when Sirius stopped. Harry noticed a few steps afterwards, and gently tugged Snuffles to a stop as well. Patiently, Snuffles sat at Harry’s feet, his butt brushing Harry’s leg. His mouth was open, his tongue hanging out and his breathes panting. 

“What’s wrong Sirius?”

Sirius sight was caught on a small shop across the road. The small parlor was open, and Harry could see inside the shop to its vast array of ice-creams. Sirius’s smile didn’t reach his eyes and when he looked at Harry, he jerked his head in the direction of the shop. 

“What do you say we celebrate our newest family members adoption with some ice cream?”

Harry smiled shyly and nodded. 

They walked across the street and set themselves on a table outside the small shop. Snuffles flopped to the ground when Harry sat down, his tail slowly wagging whenever he brushed his hands over the hound’s head. His fur was scraggly, and it felt like he had rolled in sand.

“I’ll go order while you wait with Snuffles,” Sirius told Harry. “What flavor would you like?”

“I don’t mind. Whatever you get is good.”

“Hazelnut it is!”

Harry looked at the sign above the shop when Sirius walked away. It read Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. 

They were sitting under the shade of a white and red swirled umbrella eating their ice-cream when Harry remembered their earlier interaction with Professor Lupin. 

“Hey Sirius,” Harry’s ice-cream was dripping down its cone towards his hand. “How do you know Professor Lupin?”

Sirius licked the edge of his ice-cream, before quirking his lips. He paused at the question for a few moments. 

“We grew up together,” Sirius started. “He went to school with your parents and me, and well, we were close. Did he never mention knowing your parents?”

Harry tilted his head in thought. There had been conversations where Professor Lupin had mentioned his parents, but it had never been any different than Professor McGonagall reminiscing to him. 

“Well, after everything that happened, your parents dying and me being sent to prison, he and I lost touch.”

Sirius paused. Harry didn’t speak, sure the man had more to say. 

“It was my fault. When I went to prison, I was in a really dark place. I was mourning your parents and I was so angry at myself for being stupid enough to believe Pettigrew. I just couldn’t handle seeing Remus. The guards would tell me when he had come to visit, and I just couldn’t let him see me like that, so each time, I just refused visitation. Eventually he stopped coming.” 

Harry thought over what Sirius said. His heart ached for the man in front of him who had to endure so much heartbreak in his life. 

“Do you miss him?” Harry asked. 

Sirius hummed, nodding absentmindedly. His eyes were unfocused, and he looked lost in thought.

“You should call him. He looked like he missed you too.”

That broke Sirius out of his trance. He looked at his godson and plastered on a fake smile. 

“Kiddo, you gotta eat quicker. Your ice cream is melting!”

Harry let the subject go, laughing along with Sirius. However, he didn’t miss the thoughtful looked that passed over his godfather the rest of the walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> I am going to apologise for my terrible attempts at writing Fleurs accent, because that shit was hard and inconsistent! But I wanted to put her in there to maybe set up some stuff up for later on.  
> So, yeah, Snuffles is a little homage to Sirius Animagus's form, because how could I not put that in, so I hope you like that.  
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments, you guys! <3  
> Anyway, I promise there is more wolfstar and some actual drarry to come, its just been hard setting everything up! I promise I will get to it asap!


	7. Business Meetings

Snuffles settled in well with Harry and Sirius the following week. 

Each day Harry walked Snuffles through the park across the street, played with him in the backyard, and fed him the vet approved amount. Snuffles, it turned out, ate quite a lot. By the following Sunday, the dry food had all but run out, and so had the last of the wet food. 

Harry spent Sunday afternoon unsure how he was going to tell Sirius. After already having spent so much adopting Snuffles and buying all the things he needed, Harry was starting to worry Sirius would think it was all too much. There was a small part of him that thought perhaps Sirius would send Snuffles back.

That night Harry had been unusually quite throughout the meal. He had noticed Sirius shooting him worried looks, yet his godfather refrained from voicing his worries. Afterwards, he slunk up to his room, ignorant to the fear Sirius held in his eyes. Entering his room, Harry quietly shut his door and started pacing, careful not to step too hard to avoid making any noise. He began mumbling under his breath and gestured with his hands as he rehearsed how he would tell Sirius Snuffles needed more food. After twenty minutes, he had worked himself up to the point of peak anxiety, convinced Sirius was about to yell at him, to blame him for everything. Harry’s shoulders were tense, and his hands were clenched so hard they had turned white. 

He made his way down the stairs slowly, careful not to make any noise. He walked into the open living room and paused. Sirius was sitting with his back to Harry on the couch watching the television. The room was dark, only lit by the dull light emanating from the television which played a generic quiz show. Harry took a deep breath. He walked to the side of the couch and placed himself in the edge of Sirius’s sight while making sure he in no way blocked the television. That had never gone down well with Uncle Vernon. 

When Sirius failed to notice him, Harry opened his mouth to force the words out. Before he managed though, he heard a small boof, and looked down to see Snuffles spread across the couch and Sirius’s lap. He was cramped in the small space but looked in no way close to moving. He wagged his tail as he lolled his head back to look at Harry. 

“Oh, hey Harry,” Sirius said with a smile. “Want to watch with us?”

Before he could answer, Snuffles let out another small boof, as though agreeing with Sirius’s question. Sirius laughed and ruffled his ears. 

“By the way, I meant to tell you. Snuffles is running low on dog food. I am going to head to the store tomorrow to pick some up, so don’t worry. Can’t have our favourite pupper going hungry, can we?” He scratched under Snuffles chin, who started thumping his leg in response.

Harry stood still, his heart beating loudly in his ears. Then a bubble of relieved laughter escaped his chest. He couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face as he shook his head. His eyes felt damp, and for reasons he couldn’t understand, he felt like crying. 

“Harry, buddy, are you alright?” Sirius was sitting up now, looking at Harry with concern. 

Harry couldn’t help how wet his laugh came out. It sounded like a sob, and Sirius quickly shoved Snuffles from his lap, standing up to approach Harry. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” his voice was sharp, urgent, and Harry shrunk in on himself. 

“It’s nothing,” Harry sniffed, hanging his head to keep Sirius from seeing his face. “I was being stupid.”

“Harry, don’t you dare say that,” Sirius placed his hands over his shoulders and shrunk down to view Harry’s face. “If something has upset you, it isn’t stupid. Please, I want to know what happened.”

With rushed, choked words Harry explained his worries about Snuffles food to Sirius. By the end of it, his face was bright red, and he expected his godfather to laugh at him. 

Instead, Sirius wrapped his arms around his godson, and slowly rocked them both, hushing Harry as more tears escaped his eyes. 

“Listen to me Harry. That is never going to happen. I love you and I love Snuffles, and I am never letting either of you go, alright. I promise you.”

Harry nodded into his godfather’s chest. He took a few deep breaths and settled himself. 

“Are you feeling better?” Sirius asked, rubbing a thumb over Harry’s cheek. 

Harry nodded.

“Alright, then. Do you want to watch some telly? This bloke isn’t far of winning and I want to see if he gets the money.” 

Sirius led them over to the small couch. He shoved Snuffles over, who huffed before resettling his head in Sirius’s lap. Harry stuck to his godfathers’ side, resting his head on the man shoulders. Sirius wrapped his godsons’ shoulder and ran his other hand through Snuffles fur. The family sat together like that, watching a wheel spin on the telly. 

 

Harry woke up on Tuesday morning sweating. His window was open all the way and he had only slept with a sheet, but a mix of the summer heat and nightmares had left his bed shirt soaked. He headed straight to the shower to clean himself, knowing he would have to do a load of washing throughout the day. 

Breakfast was a simple affair. Sirius had beat him down the stairs and set Harry up with a bowl of cereal. Harry sent him a quick thankyou before sitting down and drenching the crunchy flakes in milk. Harry could hear Snuffles playful barking from in the backyard. 

“Harry,” Sirius tone was different to his usual cheery attitude. He leant against the kitchen sink, looking at Harry. 

Harry hummed at him through a mouthful of cereal. 

“Mr. Malfoy will be coming around today. He wants to run through some things with you.”

Harry dropped his spoon in the bowl. He struggled to swallow the cereal in his mouth.

“Why?” He choked out. 

“Its standard. You don’t have anything to be worried about. He just needs you to answer some questions,” Sirius voice was strained. 

Harry nodded. His appetite was gone. 

They spent the rest of the morning floating awkwardly around the house. Harry tried to keep busy, but he couldn’t keep his mind on one set task. He went to walk Snuffles, but   
before he could find the lead, noticed dirty dishes in the sink and set about cleaning them. After that, he headed upstairs to help Sirius with the washing, but got halfway up the stairs when he remembered he was about to walk Snuffles. He never did find the dog lead. 

When Lucius Malfoy knocked on the door, Sirius all ran down the stairs, opening it after two thumps. 

“Lucius,” he greeted, shaking the man’s hand. 

“Black.” 

Malfoy stepped into the hallway, his cane thumping against the floor with each step. He looked around the home, sniffing the air. 

“What a…,” He paused in thought. “…charming home you have. ‘

Sirius hummed, not rising to the bait. He showed Malfoy into the living room, gesturing for him to sit in the large leather brown chair. The man looked affronted at such an offer, but after a few moments, simple etiquette and manners won out and he slowly slunk himself down onto the edge of the seat. 

Harry watched the whole thing happen from the top of the staircase, which was soon becoming a regular spot for his spying. His heart was pounding, and he wanted to run to his room and barricade the door. He didn’t. 

Instead, when Sirius called him down, he took the stairs slowly. He made no noise. Harry peaked into the living room where Sirius was setting the coffee table up with tea and biscuits. He waited at the edge of the room behind the wall. 

“Harry, come sit.” 

Sirius placed a tray of biscuits onto the table top, not looking up from what he was doing. 

Harry stepped into the room, his eyes trained on Mr. Malfoy. The man looked like he had been sucking on a sour lemon, his lips pinched, and his nose scrunched slightly as he looked around the room. When he saw Harry, he stood up. The movement was sudden, and for a startling moment, thoughts of punishments and pain ran through Harry’s mind, causing him to jump back a step. Seeing his reaction caused Malfoy to still, posed in a crouch halfway between fully standing and sitting. The two stared at each other for a few moments, Harry’s eyes wide, Malfoy’s calculating, before the man slowly sat back down. He put his hands up in a gesture of peace, looking like he was trying to calm a frightened animal. 

Harry scowled, and moved the rest of the way to the other couch. He slumped into the seat. His face was red, and his thoughts swam to how ridiculous Mr. Malfoy thought he must have looked. Harry tried to avoid the man’s gaze, instead watching Sirius pour tea into a mismatched tea set. When he was finished and had handed out beverages to everyone in the room, Sirius sat next to him. Mr. Malfoy held his cup in his hands, before putting it down on the table without taking a sip. 

“Shall we start?” Mr. Malfoy said with a drawl. He sounded bored. Like he would rather be doing anything but this. 

Harry looked to Sirius before nodding. 

“Very well,” Mr. Malfoy started. “I am unsure how much your godfather has told you Mr. Potter, but I have reviewed your case and come up with a way that will grant Mr. Black with full custody.”

Harry sat forward. 

“Really?” He couldn’t keep the shock from his voice.

“However,” Harry’s heart sank. “It would require you to make a statement about the abuse you suffered at the hands of you Uncle and Aunt, which, if necessary, we will use to press   
charges against them.” 

They sat in silence after those words. Harry stared into space, his eyes unfocused. A deep fear settled within him, twisting his stomach and making him nauseous. Distantly, he could hear Sirius talking to him, could feel him rubbing his arm. The touch made his skin crawl, but he couldn’t bring himself to shrug Sirius off. 

It was in the silence that Harry thought about his life with Sirius. Harry remembered when he had first stepped into the home and how content he had felt, how safe. He thought of Snuffles and the nights Harry had snuck him up to bed with him, and how Sirius definitely knew what was happening but let him do it anyway. He thought of the spontaneous dances Sirius would pull him into, or the stories he told about Harry’s parents. He thought of leaving all this behind for the cold, locked room that held promises of punishments and pain. 

“Can you promise me?” Harry breathed the question, unable to make his voice go any louder. At Sirius and Malfoys looks he continued. “Can you promise me if I make a statement I won’t have to go back there.”

They shared a look and as Malfoy opened his mouth to answer, Harry cut him off.

“Because if you can’t, I won’t do it. If I do this and they win, he will kill me.”

Sirius looked stricken and close to tears, but Harry kept eye contact with Mr. Malfoy. The man stared back with a blank expression. Eventually, he lifted his chin and gave one short   
nod.

“I guarantee, Mr. Potter, you will not be going back to those people.”

A chill ran over Harry, and goose-bumps covered his arms. It was with that reassurance that Harry nodded. The meeting continued. 

“Very well. Now before we continue, I need you to tell me everything your relatives did to you. We will not use all of it, but to represent you to the best of my abilities I need to cover all bases. I can’t do that unless I know all the facts.”

There was something within Harry that wanted to refuse telling Malfoy anything. It was a deep fear that was sunk within him after too many of his Uncles threats. How could he tell this man all the moments of pain he endured? How could he be trusted not to let Harry get hurt by them again? But, Harry knew his life with Sirius was depending on him and the truth of his life with the Dursleys. He knew, if he didn’t speak up, then this was just another victory his Uncle had over him, and the thought of that infuriated Harry. 

Harry shot a look to Sirius whose expression was unreadable. Harry shook his head slightly, unsure what to say.

“Um, I don’t know, where… or what…” Harry stumbled over his words. 

“Just start at the beginning. Tell me when it started, what they would do, anything,” Mr. Malfoy said in what was the most comforting way he possibly could. It still came out stiff. 

Harry thought about when it had all started, but as he thought, he couldn’t be sure there ever truly was a point that things began. It had just always been. So, he started with his first memory.

“Ok, well, when I was little, they used to lock me in my cupboard…”

“Your cupboard?” Malfoy asked, alarmed. 

Harry shrunk his shoulders.

“Yeah, that was my room. The cupboard under the stairs…”

Malfoy didn’t interrupt after that. Instead he listened with a blank face. His grip on his cane was so tight his hand was pale, and his lips were thinly pressed, but other than that he let no emotions lose. 

Harry told him about his life with the Dursleys. He spoke of the daily chores that were too much for any four-year-old to handle and the punishments he received for not finishing. He spoke of his Aunt Petunia and her frying pan, and his Uncles punishments that usually entailed a few punches and days locked in his cupboard. He told Malfoy and Sirius things he had never told anyone, such as the time his Uncle put him in hospital with a concussion and three fractured ribs. Harry had been forced to tell the nurses he had fallen down the stairs. All the stories led up to his final night with his relatives and him running away to Sirius. 

After it all, the three were emotionally and physically exhausted. Malfoy asked minimal questions and remained stoic. Sirius looked on the verge of murder and had to excuse himself into the kitchen for a breath. Harry couldn’t blame him. He had never delved into so much detail about his relatives, and the experiences were rushing back to him, causing his hands to shake.

It was late in the evening that Malfoy left, the sun sitting low in the sky. He promised to return throughout the week to get started on Harry’s statement and to meet with Sirius in preparation of the upcoming court appearance. Sirius saw him to the door. Once he was gone Harry went up to his room. He laid on his bed with tired, itchy eyes that refused to shut.

It was a few minutes later he heard his bedroom door creak open. He stayed facing the white wall. He heard the patter of Snuffles footsteps and his bed shook as the large dog leapt up to be beside him. He stuck his cold nose into Harry’s neck drawing a small smile from the boy. 

It wasn’t long before Sirius joined the two, sandwiching Snuffles between them as he reached over to hold Harry’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the Kudos and comments!  
> Next chapter finally has Draco in it so stay tuned.


	8. Malfoy's Request

Lucius Malfoy spent most days at their home that week, running over Harry’s case. The days were spent gathered by the kitchen table preparing Harry’s statement. Each afternoon, after Malfoy had left, Harry would go to his room with his shoulders slumped and his feet shuffling. He would collapse on his bed the second he reached it. Most times Snuffles followed him, jumping up on the bed and rubbing his wet nose along Harry’s face. Those nights Sirius bought dinner up to him, and they ate together in Harry’s bed. Some nights he stayed, Sirius and Snuffles both falling asleep with Harry, staying with him until morning. 

By Friday afternoon, Mr. Malfoy decided they had gotten enough from Harry for his statement. The words sparked relief in both Harry and Sirius. That week had been one of the hardest the pair had faced, and Harry’s nightmares were the worst they had ever been. He had been walking around with deep bags under his eyes, yawning constantly. Sirius was no better. 

The court date was issued for the following Thursday. That was six days away. Just under a week. Mr. Malfoy believed he could give them a victory within one week, max. Harry tried to believe him, but exhaustion had settled deep within him. Reality seemed far away these days, and Harry was struggling to stay afloat with the emotions washing through him. 

At the end of the Friday session, Mr. Malfoy collected the files that littered the kitchen table. He chatted to Sirius, scheduling the upcoming week meetings. 

“I think it is best we meet every day leading up to the hearing, Black. There is no such thing as being too prepared.”

Sirius nodded along to the words. He handed files over to Malfoy. Harry began washing the plates they had used for lunch. When Malfoy had collected all he needed, he stood up straight and looked to them both. Harry was expecting to hear the usual goodbye. However, Malfoy said something unexpected. 

“I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you, Black. And you, Mr. Potter.”

Malfoy didn’t sound as though he were asking for a favour. His back was straight, and he looked down at them both.

Harry stilled. He looked to Sirius who had gone pale at the words. He didn’t look surprised. Deep within Sirius, he knew there would be a price for Malfoy help. He had known ever since the thought of asking Malfoy for crossed his mind one desperate afternoon when Sirius knew he was losing the fight for Harry. Now, it seemed it was time to pay up. Sirius gave a single nod to Malfoy, his eyes calculating. 

“Don’t look so tortured, Black. It isn’t that kind of favour.”

Harry quirked his head. He wondered what ‘that’ kind of favour was.

“It’s about my boy, Draco,” Malfoy said. Harry’s furrowed his eyebrows. “Ever since we cancelled our holiday, he’s been… testy.”

Sounds like Malfoy, Harry thought. 

“He’s been driving Narcissa up the wall since school ended. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind him coming here with me a few days this week. We think it would be good for him to be around people his own age. Also, it will give Narcissa a break.”

Sirius mouth hung open as he thought of what to say. He turned to Harry. 

“Well, I don’t see a problem with that…” Sirius said, completely baffled at the request. “Harry, what do you think?”

Harry thought no. He had enough of Malfoy at school, he didn’t want to spend any of his holidays with the boy. Surely, one of them would end up with a bloody nose within ten minutes of talking. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

But then Harry thought of all the things Mr. Malfoy was doing for him, to keep Harry safe and away from the Dursleys. He couldn’t just say no… could he?

“Malf- Draco doesn’t even like me. Why would he want to spend time here?” Harry asked, hoping it would get him out of the arrangement. 

Mr. Malfoy didn’t even take time to think before answering. 

“I promise, Mr. Potter, my son will be on his best behaviour as a guest in your house,” Mr. Malfoy said. “I believe it would be good for him to get out more and I would like that to happen someplace I can keep my eye on him. Even if just for a day.”

Harry knew there was no way he was getting out of this. Begrudgingly, he nodded. 

“Excellent,” Malfoy picked up his suitcase and cane. “Draco and I will arrive in the morning at 10 30, if that suits you both.”

Without waiting for confirmation, Mr. Malfoy walked to the front door and let himself out. 

 

The next morning Harry was filled with dread. The moment he woke up he was exhausted and the thought of spending the day with Malfoy felt like a nightmare spilt over into the real world. Yesterday afternoon, Sirius had checked Harry was alright with the arrangement. He assured Harry he would call Mr. Malfoy and tell him they had changed their minds if Harry wasn’t comfortable, but Harry wouldn’t let him. It felt too much like cowering away and Harry wouldn’t let Malfoy have the satisfaction of scaring him. 

So, as 10:30 rolled around, Harry was a tight ball of stress and Sirius was no better. The only thing keeping them from both snapping was Snuffles pawing at them for attention. They waited in silence, sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. 

As always, Mr. Malfoy arrived right on time. The thud of the door only cemented Harry’s bad mood, and he sunk low into his chair, resting his arms and head on the table. Sirius walked to the front door to greet the Father and son, shooting Harry a small look. 

When he walked into the kitchen, Harry thought Malfoy looked as pleased to be there as Harry was having him here. His eyes roamed the house in disgust and his lip was curled as he surveyed each room. He looked like a miniature lawyer, dressed in Khakis and a button shirt. Mr. Malfoy looked much the same as he usually did, dressed in a three-piece suit and carrying his cane and briefcase. 

The man set his things down on the table top and shucked off his suit jacket. 

“Morning, Black. Mr. Potter.”

Sirius nodded, and Harry mumbled a half-hearted response.

Mr. Malfoy shoved his son’s shoulder.

“Morning,” Malfoy grumbled. He barely spared a glance Harry’s way, instead throwing disgusted looks around the house. 

“Very well,” Mr. Malfoy sighed. “Mr. Potter, this meeting will not require your presence. Draco, you won’t need to be here either. I suggest you both find something to do while Black and I sort things out.”

“What would you have me do, Father?” Malfoy drawled out. “I doubt there is much to do in a place such as this.”

Anger swelled in Harry’s stomach. How dare Malfoy judge his home. Afterall, the boy was probably raised in a haunted mansion filled with dark, incriminating relics. Harry was about to politely tell Malfoy he could go fuck himself and leave when Sirius spoke. 

“Why don’t you two get out of the house and take Snuffles for a walk?” Sirius suggested. 

“That sounds like a splendid idea. Boys, off you go,” Mr. Malfoy said, gesturing them to the door in dismissal.

Malfoy scrunched his nose in disgust and even Harry, who loved walking Snuffles, thought the idea repulsive. Yet, it was better than sitting around the house where Malfoy could potentially overhear details about the case Harry didn’t need him knowing. With that, Harry rounded up Snuffles.

“Let’s go Malfoy.”

The blonde rolled his eyes but refrained from responding. He followed Harry and Snuffles out the door.

The two didn’t speak to each other until they were two streets over. Harry thought things were going quite well, until Malfoy opened his mouth.

“So, do your friends know Saint Potter has fallen from grace?”

Snuffles had stopped to sniff a nearby bush, and Harry tugged on his lead to keep the hound moving. Not taking the hint, Snuffles continued sniffing and Harry was forced to stop. Malfoy stopped as well, only a few steps ahead of them. 

“What are you on about, Malfoy?”

“I was just wondering if your friends knew you were a criminal. I mean, there are a lot of reasons why someone might need a lawyer, but you must have been truly desperate to go to my Father for help. Was your case too impossible for anyone else to consider taking you on?”

Harry rolled his eyes. 

“I’m not a criminal, Malfoy. Like you said, there are a lot of reasons someone gets a lawyer.”

Malfoy tweaked his head to the side, still smirking that irritating smirk. How Harry wanted to punch it off his face.

“So, Granger and Weasley don’t know about all this?”

Harry huffed, managing to finally extract Snuffles from the intoxicating scent of the bush. He refrained from answering Malfoys question. He still felt guilty about not telling his Ron and Hermione about his custody hearing. He tried to console himself by thinking they were off enjoying themselves without having to worry about Harry and his troubles. 

“So, it is bad! You would have told them if it wasn’t,” Malfoy looked delighted. “How far off prison are you? Oh, how many years are you going away for?”

“I’m not a fucking criminal, alright!”

“Well then tell me what my father is representing you for, if not to keep you out of jail.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. 

“What, he hasn’t told you?”

Malfoy huffed and rolled his eyes. 

“That would be an ethical violation on his part, Potter. My Father is not an idiot.”

Harry laughed at that, a mix of relief and satisfaction.

“So, you have no idea what he is representing me for? My god, that must be killing you.” 

Malfoy looked like he had sucked on a lemon. Harry saw the outrage of not knowing eating at Malfoy as they walked. Harry let out another short laugh, and Malfoy’s cheeks began to tint pink.

“I know why he is representing you,” Malfoy finally shot back. “Your godfather is handing over the family mansion as payment. It becomes ours even if you lose. In fact, I doubt my father is even trying to win your case. Why would he bother?”

Harry froze. Snuffles pulled gently against him to keep going but Harry stayed rooted where he was. Malfoy, who had kept walking, noticed Harry had fallen back. He didn’t look back, instead waited for the dark-haired boy to speak.

“Your father said he would make sure we won,” Harry said, shaking his head. 

“What, and you believed him? My father only cares about himself and his family. Don’t delude yourself Potter, he doesn’t care if he wins your case.”

Finally, Malfoy looked back, smirk on his face, ready for whatever retort Potter would respond with. He expected to see anger in the boy, unbridled and fierce like he always looked when they fought. He was not expecting the pale, shaking boy he saw. 

Harry’s breath was erratic, and his wide eyes looked at Malfoy in shock. He thought over all the things he had told Mr. Malfoy to help win their case, the statement he had made against his Aunt and Uncle. He tried to wrap his head around his thoughts as he realised Mr. Malfoy could have been lying to him about winning. Harry had not known what Sirius was paying and he certainly didn’t doubt Mr. Malfoy was capable of double crossing them. As the thought washed over him, Harry could feel his Uncles hands around his throat trying to wring the life out of him.

“Potter?”

Harry’s ears were ringing. He didn’t notice as Malfoy slowly approached him, and he certainly didn’t see the concern alight on the other boy’s face. He didn’t react to the other boy’s presence. Not until Malfoy reached his hand to tap Harry’s shoulder. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Harry snapped. 

Harry stumbled back a few steps. He dropped Snuffles lead from his grip, holding his hands out, signalling stay back.

“What the fuck, Potter? What is wrong with you?”

Harry looked around frantically, and then, without warning, took off sprinting, leaving Malfoy with Snuffles on the side of the road.

The shock of the situation kept Malfoy from acting immediately as he watched Potter disappear from his view. Instead, he played the interaction through his head, uncomprehending to what had caused Potter to react so bizarrely. It was a large booming bark that broke him out of thought. He noticed Potter’s beast barking at him, its eyes focused on Draco as though rousing on him. 

“What?” Draco demanded, looking incredulously at the dog. 

The hound bit his pants, roughly tugging him forward. When he heard a sharp rip, Malfoy swore. He picked up the rope attached to Potter's dog, and immediately the beast pulled him forward, just about jerking his arm from its socket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit rushed. Thanks for all the kudos and comments!


	9. An Olive Branch... Kinda

Tracking down Potter proved a long and tiring process. Malfoy would have surely given up by now, if not for the insistent pull of Potter’s beast. The dog had its head low to the ground sniffing, completely ignoring the person that held his reins. Each time Malfoy tired, the beast pulled harshly, causing him to jump forward and keep walking. 

The summer sun had turned Draco’s cheeks pink and his hair was damp with sweat. He had long since rolled up his shirt sleeves. Passing shade granted short relief from the summer sun, but it didn’t last long. He mumbled under his breath as he walked, cursing Potter and his dog for putting him through this. Yet, regardless of his discomfort, he couldn’t keep the twinge of pain aching in his chest each time he thought about how frightened Potter had looked before he took off. Draco had never imagined seeing Potter in such a state. 

Even at school when he was being belittled by Draco’s godfather Severus, Potter never looked frightened. There was always an air of defiance about him. There was a fight that shone deep in Potter’s eyes daring someone to try him. And Draco did. He had been fighting with Potter ever since the boy vetoed him over friendship with Weasley. He had rejected Draco’s handshake with a cold sneer and sharp words cementing what would become one of the greatest rivalries of Hogwarts. 

Though he could never admit it to others, Draco had always been disappointed by Potter’s rejection. It was why when he saw Potter with Weasley and Granger at school Draco didn’t hold back. He sniped at Potter and his friends until the other boy rose to the bait. Draco knew well how to get a rise out of Potter, and he always enjoyed the fight given by the other boy.

Sometimes, there was the odd day Potter came to school oozing misery looking for Draco with sharp words spilling from his mouth. There was always something different in Potter when he was the one starting the fights. Like his heart was not in it, and he was only looking for a distraction. And who was Draco not to comply? He shot back harsher words and violent jabs until both of them were left sore and upset, serving weeks’ worth of detention. 

The heat from the pavement was starting to seep into Draco’s shoes and the beast had been leading him for so long, his legs were starting to tire. They continued along a footpath that ventured away from all manmade buildings and led them into a small forest. The trees were spaced out far enough that Draco could still see around him easily enough, but there was no hint of mankind in the area. Draco could hear the calls of birds flying above and the chirp of crickets around him, but he could not hear the chatter of people, nor the familiar rush of the city. 

Soon the footpath ceased to exist, and all that marked the path for Draco was the patchy grass and dirt under his shoes. He walked until the trees became larger and dead leaves soon covered the earth’s floor. His head jerked each time he heard a new noise, his eyes searching for the threats around him. The large black dog was still attached to Draco by the rope, and he held it tightly, like it could be used as a shield should the need arise. 

To the side, Draco heard the rustle of leaves. It sounded like a large creature scuffling along the forest floor and Draco let out a small ‘eep’ as he jumped violently, dropping the rope attaching him to Potter’s dog. Snuffles took that opportunity to sprint in the direction of the noise, leaving Draco behind to the dangers of the imposing forest. Draco couldn’t do more than watch as the beast galloped into the forest out of his view. 

He was in the process of deciding whether to go after the dog or bolt from the area when he heard a small voice and booming barks. 

“Snuffles?”

It was definitely Potter. Draco was sure, even if he could barely hear the other boy over the excited yaps of the beast.

Draco stepped through the bushes in the direction Potter’s dog had ventured in, careful to avoid stepping on anything caked in mud. His shoes were already riddled with dirt. Damp twigs brushed against him and scratched his arms, and Draco scowled as he violently pushed them out of the way. 

When he finally caught sight of Potter, he saw the boy’s frame slumped against the trunk of a thick oak tree in a small clearing. Snuffles was standing over him, blocking most of Draco’s view. He stepped forward to get closer to the two, and as he did, Draco stepped on a large branch. The branch emitted a large snap, and tripped him, sending him flying into the open space. He didn’t notice Potter or Snuffles look at him as he stumbled over his own feet. 

“Nature doesn’t suit you, Malfoy.”

Draco scowled as he looked up at Potter. He was ready to snap off some quick-witted remark about Potter’s lack of parents when he saw how the other boy looked. Sitting slumped against such a large tree accentuated how small Potter was. The bags under his eyes were deep and he looked like he hadn’t slept in months. Dirt covered his clothes and scratch marks marred the boy’s arms and face, likely caused when he ran off blindly into the forest. 

The fight left Draco along with his breath. Instead, he just grumbled to himself, cursing the branch that had tripped him. The dog flopped to the ground and curled up next to Potter, putting his head in the boy’s lap. 

“What are you doing here?”

Potter looked at Draco with calculating eyes. Draco tried not to twitch under the stare. 

“What, would you rather I had let your dog roam the streets by itself?”

Absentmindedly, Potter ran his hands through Snuffles hair. He didn’t respond, and irritation was swimming in Draco’s chest. 

“What the fuck was that all about, Potter? Why the hell did you run off?”

The dark-haired boy looked away from Draco. Instead, he focused intently on his hands as he patted the beast. Draco huffed at the boy’s refusal to answer. 

After a few minutes standing awkwardly in the bushes, Draco moved. He walked to the other boy, his strides confident even if his feet wobble when he stepped over the branches littering the clearings floor. When he finally stood above Potter, he stared hard at the boy. Potter looked to be preparing for a fight, his eyes narrow and his mouth pressed thin. Yet, instead of antagonising the boy, Draco simply turned and sat beside him.

“I can’t believe you made me look for you for over an hour.”

Draco picked off a few weeds that were clinging to his pants. He could feel Potter looking at him. 

“Didn’t ask you to follow me, Malfoy.”

Draco shot him a look which Potter responded to by rolling his eyes. 

They sat together like that for a few moments, listening to the sounds of nature around them. Draco could appreciate the serenity that came with the place. The fresh air blew past them with a hint of chill, pushing leaves from the forest floor and sending them flying. The bark of the large tree brushed against his back, but it didn’t hurt. It was simply a reminder of the tree’s sturdiness. 

“Is your dad really not trying to win our case?”

Potter spoke barely above a whisper and the words cut off on the last syllable, but Draco heard him. The dark-haired boy picked at Snuffles fur, eyes trained away from Draco. Still he could see Potter peaking at him every now and then.

“I never said that, Potter.”

Potter furrowed his eyebrows.

“I said it didn’t matter if he won or not, not that he wasn’t trying to win,” Draco rolled his eyes. He didn’t like the severity of the conversation, and so he reverted to what he knew.  
Teasing. “Is that why you freaked out? Afraid you might actually go to jail?”

He had been hoping for a fight. Instead, Potter sunk even further into himself. His shoulders were hunched, and his face was still sickly pale. 

“I’d rather go to jail then where I will be going if I lose this case.”

Draco couldn’t help the twinge in his chest at those words, nor could he hide the concerned expression cross his face. 

“Why is my father representing you, Potter?”

This time, when he asked, there was no malicious intent strung through his words, only concern. 

“Why would I tell you, Malfoy?” Potter sounded exhausted. “You’re just going to use it against me and tell all your friends. The whole school will be talking about what a pathetic loser I am in no time.”

“Come on, Potter, give me some credit. My insults are way more original than that.”

That pulled a small huff from Potter.

“Look, I won’t tell anyone, Potter. I promise.”

And Draco meant it. He stayed quite as he watched Potter think over what he said.

“Do you remember that time we were playing football against each other and I broke your nose?”

Draco tilted his head. He did remember that game. He had been making fun of Potter’s lack of hygiene, claiming he had got it from his mother, when Potter threw the first punch. Draco’s father had demanded Potter be cut from the team, but Dumbledore claimed Draco was just as much at fault. Turns out, they had been in front of the teachers stands when the fight started. In the end neither of them was suspended from football. However, they each had to serve two weeks detention.

He had no idea why Potter was mentioning it now. 

“You didn’t break my nose, Potter. It was just bleeding,” Draco said defensively, tilting his chin up. 

Potter gave him a knowing look. Draco huffed.

“What about it?”

“I don’t know,” Potter picked some more weeds out of Snuffles hair. “I guess it was the first time I noticed your parents always come to your games.”

Draco squinted at Potter, unsure where this was going. He made a gesture with his hands for Potter to continue. 

Potter sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Well, I mean, your dad cares so much about you, he tried to have me off the team just for punching you. But, like, if my relatives ever saw you do that to me, they surely would have baked you a cake or some shit… or made me bake it.”

“What are you on about, Potter? I just met your godfather. I’m pretty sure he would get sent back to jail if he saw me hit you. That man was giving off some serious overprotective vibes.”

“No, not Sirius. My relatives, Malfoy. My Uncle and Aunt.”

Silence followed those words. Draco couldn’t explain the sharp twinge in his stomach. It felt like he had been tripped, the jolt from missing a step leading his body to believe he would fall. 

“What about your relatives, Potter?”

Potter let out a frustrated noise. He ran his hand threw his hair, managing to make it even messier than usual. 

“That’s why your father is representing me, Malfoy. To keep me away from them!”

Draco opened his mouth, and then shut it. He felt a chill rush over him despite the heat of the day. 

“What did they do?”

Potter scoffed. 

“It doesn’t matter, Malfoy. This is just about making Sirius my legal guardian. They refused to sign the paperwork, and things… escalated. Now, well, I just…I don’t…”

“Why wouldn’t they sign the paperwork?”

Potter responded with a dark, dry laugh that melted into a sombre expression. 

“Nothing is ever that easy for me, Malfoy. Haven’t you noticed?” He paused for a moment. 

Potter could feel Draco looking at him, waiting for more. 

“Apparently, my parents left me some money when they died.” Potter scrubbed his face. “I only found out when Sirius came around because the Dursleys never told me. When I turn sixteen my legal guardian has access to the accounts. The Dursleys don’t want to give up custody because if they do, they lose access to the money.”

Draco thought over the words. He wasn’t sure how to respond to something that sounded so serious. 

“They sound like wankers,” is the response Draco went with. 

It drew a laugh out of Potter, a short huff that turned into deep laughter. Seeing Potter throw his head back, eyes closed caused Draco to smile. The situation felt so surreal there wasn’t much more Draco could to than join in laughing.

"What's so funny?" Draco said through his own breathy laughter, shaking his head. 

The question only made Potter laugh harder. All the stress pent up in Potter seemed to be seeping out. He still looked exhausted, but the tension within him was not as intense. Together they laughed at nothing and everything, unsure what it was that seemed so funny in the first place. 

When their laughter finally died out, they sat in silence regaining their breath. Potter was the first to speak. 

“Why did your dad bring you with him today?”

“Why do you want to know?” Draco shot back.

Potter gave him an unamused look.

“Humour me,” he said. 

Draco thought about lying, about making some grand story up that made him sound cooler. But, as he thought to what Potter had told him, he realised the other boy would not care for his lies. 

“Right, well, Father didn’t trust me to be in the house by myself anymore,” Draco avoided eye contact with Potter by examining the small rip marks on his pants. 

“Why not?”

Draco cleared his throat.

“Well, Father cancelled our trip to France because of your case,” He wanted to stop talking and leave it at that, but he could feel Potter wanted more from him, so he continued. 

“There isn’t all that much to do at my house, and because it’s the school holidays there hasn’t been much to keep busy with. I already finished off our library collection and you can only practice so much Football without any opponents.”

Draco stopped and took a deep breath.

“So, a few days ago I tried to take up baking.”

Potter let out a bark of laughter and Draco felt his face heat up.

“You tried to bake something? I don’t think I would have ever imagined you in a kitchen, Malfoy.”

Draco rolled his eyes.

“Right, yes, well… there wasn’t anything else to do and all my friends are out of the country, so I thought I would try something new. It seemed like it would be easy!”

Potter was smirking at him and Draco couldn’t keep the amusement from showing on his own face, even as he tried to remain stoic.

“So, I was trying to bake a cake, because how hard could that be? And then, I, uh, kind of, accidentally, set fire to the place.”

The laughter was back, and Potter had to hold his stomach as he threw his head back. Draco tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help but notice the other boy’s smile, his lips and his exposed neck. Something fluttered inside his chest, but Draco pushed it out of his mind, intent not to focus on his reaction to the other boy. Instead, he laughed along with the other until his stomach muscles ached, and his cheeks hurt from smiling. 

They spent most of the afternoon in that clearing. Snuffles explored the area around them, revelling in the scents from all the different bushes, and the two boys talked about whatever meaningless topic they could think off. It felt surreal to them both, the fact they were enjoying the others company. It never seemed like something that would happen but as they sat together that afternoon, there was an unspoken truce. For those few hours, all their history of teasing and fighting was ignored, and they chatted like old friends.

It was Potter who noticed how low the sun had sunk in the sky. The light of the afternoon had taken on an orange haze that slipped through the cracks in the treetops. 

“We should really get home. Sirius and your dad probably think we’ve killed each other by now.”

Draco didn’t know why he felt disappointed by those words. The thought of leaving the clearing and heading back to the real world didn’t seem so appealing when he thought about Potter and him going back to their old ways when they left. But, Draco knew they couldn’t stay here forever. 

“Yeah, we should probably head back.”

As Draco climbed to his feet, he noticed the smirk adorning Potter’s face. 

“What?” He asked. 

“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe Draco Malfoy agreed with something I said. I really should mark this down on the calendar or something.”

“Oh, sod off,” Draco said with no real heat.

Potter picked up the lead still attached to Snuffles and together the boys walked back into town. When they reached the beginning of the footpath, Potter asked another question.

“Are you coming with your dad again tomorrow?”

The question surprised Draco, who stopped walking.

“Do you not want me to?”

“No, actually,” Potter shook his head. His eyebrows were scrunched. “I think I would like it if you came over again.”

“Oh,” Draco said. “Yeah, I can come over again tomorrow.”


	10. Lucius Knows Whats Up...

When the boys finally returned to Harry’s house, Sirius and Mr. Malfoy were still stuck into paperwork. The clock in the living room read it was 10 past 5 and the afternoon sun soaked the house, the orange light seeping through the living room window. Snuffles collapsed on the living room floor immediately, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he panted. Harry and Draco walked quietly into the kitchen while the two men sitting at the kitchen table continued their discussion. 

“Remember, Black, that’s only a last resort. We won’t be pressing charges unless they force our hand.”

“Why not? They deserve to be charged after the shit they put Harry through. Vernon should be in jail!”

“Please don’t press charges against my relatives,” Harry spoke, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “I’m barely making it through this court case, I don’t want to go   
through another.”

He stood beside Draco with his shoulders slumped. Dirt covered both their clothes and skin. The scratch marks on Harry’s face were bright red and his glasses were askew. Draco stared at the boy beside him. His eyes were wide, like he couldn’t believe the conversation they had walked into. From Potter’s reaction today, he knew this case was serious, but to hear discussions about pressing charges cemented everything he suspected about Potter’s relatives. It seemed all the tension expelled from Potter that afternoon had returned. The boy’s eyes were sunken, and his face was gaunt. 

“Oh, Harry,” Sirius stood up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were back.”

“What on earth have you two been up to?” Mr. Malfoy scrunched his nose as he looked at the two boys. 

Harry and Draco both looked each other up and down. Draco opened his mouth to answer when Harry cut in.

“We had to chase Snuffles through some bushes. I think he saw a squirrel or something and went nuts.”

The men glanced at the exhausted dog, who continued panting on the living room floor. Draco sent a surprised look at Harry, who shook his head. 

At the kitchen table, Mr. Malfoy rubbed his temples with long slender fingers. His eyes were closed.

“I think it best we call it a day, Black.”

Sirius nodded. He scrubbed his beard, the scratching audible. 

“Are you ready to go, Draco?”

Draco was still staring at Harry with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t figure out why the other boy had lied for him. Harry was actively avoiding eye contact with him, focusing on the two men who had started packing up the paperwork.

“Draco?”

“Yes?” Draco responded to his father automatically. 

Lucius was staring at his son with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk on his face. Draco felt his cheeks heat up as a small blush painted his cheeks. He looked to the floor, inspecting the dirt that covered his shoes.

“What time will you be coming around tomorrow, Lucius?” Sirius pushed the chairs into the kitchen table. 

“Same time, if that suits you.”

“Can Draco come over again tomorrow?” Harry asked. He fidgeted with the hem off his shirt as he waited for the answer. 

Sirius sent a surprised look to Lucius. The other man looked just as shocked and sent a single nod back to Sirius. 

“That’s fine, I guess.” 

“Very well. We will see you both again tomorrow,” Lucius picked up his brief case and cane. “Draco, say your goodbyes. We’re off.”

Draco looked to Harry and felt the overwhelming need to apologize. He wasn’t even sure what he would be apologizing for. Today, for their past, for finding out why his father was representing the other boy. It all just became to much and guilt was swimming in his stomach, making him feel ill.

“Bye, Potter,” He mumbled instead. Then he looked to Sirius. “Thank you for having me over, Mr. Black.”

Sirius shot back an amused smile and Harry mumbled a response back to the other boy. 

When they left, and it was just Harry and his godfather left in the room, Sirius couldn’t keep himself from smirking at his godson. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“So, Harry,” Sirius voice was teasing. “How was your day with Draco?”

Harry groaned and turned away from Sirius in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks. 

“It was fine.”

“Well it must have been better than fine if you want him to come over again tomorrow.”

Harry threw his head back. He tried to keep himself from smiling, but he wasn’t completely successful. He went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of juice. 

“He wasn’t a complete arse today, alright. That’s all. Besides, it was nice having someone to talk to about everything that isn’t you and Mr. Malfoy.”

“What, so he wasn’t mean to you today, and you decided he’s alright?

“…yeah.”

“My dear godson, you set the bar very low.”

At that, Harry laughed, loud and sharp. 

 

That night, as Harry lay in bed, he thought over his day with Malfoy. 

His bedsheet covered up to his waist and one of his legs remained uncovered. He glasses were off, and he stared blankly at the dark ceiling. He could hear Sirius snoring down the corridor. It had become a habit for Harry to wait until the other man went to sleep before opening his bedroom door a crack. The door being shut caused him to think of locked rooms and bruises. Harry slept better knowing the door was open. 

The idea he had told Malfoy of all people what was going on seemed so ridiculous to Harry. Not two weeks ago, the two had been at each other’s throat, using anything and everything against the other for whatever reaction they could illicit. And yet, today he had told Malfoy about his life with Sirius and the Dursleys. For whatever reason, Harry had trusted Malfoy. There were nerves fluttering in Harry’s chest, but he was surprised to find he did not regret his conversation with the other boy. In fact, something inside him felt lighter after talking to Malfoy. 

Harry went to sleep thinking about the other boy’s laughter, unsure what the uneasy feeling building inside him meant. 

 

The next morning came, and Harry was a mess of anxious energy. Today was different to the other mornings he had waited around for Mr. Malfoy, because this time, it wasn’t the court case he was worried about. It was Malfoy. The thought that yesterday was a fluke was rushing through Harry’s mind. Just because he and Malfoy had gotten on once didn’t mean it would become a regular thing. Right?

Harry was upstairs pacing in his room when he heard the knocking on the front door. It was Mr. Malfoys usual rhythm; Tap, tap…tap. Harry’s heartbeat spiked, and his hands clenched at his side. He heard Sirius greeting the Malfoys and knew he couldn’t stay up in his room any longer. 

As he descended the stairs, the first thing he noticed is the two guest’s blonde hair. Like usual, Mr. Malfoy had his long hair pulled back, but unlike usual, there was no gel in the younger Malfoys hair. Instead, his hair fell normally, tousled and shining. 

“Good morning, Mr. Potter,” Mr. Malfoy greeted Harry first, pulling off his jacket and placing it on a small hook Sirius had installed when they first moved in. 

Harry noticed he had stopped halfway down the stairs, head quirked as he inspected the other boy. Shaking his head, he shot Mr. Malfoy a small smile and made his way to the bottom of the stairs. Harry noticed there was something different about Malfoy today. Rather than wearing what Harry had dubbed his miniature lawyer clothes, the other boy was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a dark green shirt. The shirt was well fitted, and accentuated any muscles on Malfoy’s biceps. It made Harry conscious of his own wardrobe, a pair of baggy blue jeans and oversized white shirt. 

“Hey,” Draco said quietly. 

Harry responded with a similar greeting. 

It was a few moments before anybody moved from the doorway. 

“Alright, lets get to it!” Sirius said, sharply clapping his hands together.

The two adults walked quickly into the living room, already discussing the business of the day. Harry and Malfoy loitered in the hallway, standing a few metres apart. 

“What do you-”

“How are-”

They both stopped talking to let the other go. Harry could feel his cheeks heat up, and he hoped his blush wasn’t obvious to the other boy. When neither of them started talking   
again, Malfoy tried again. 

‘How are you today?”

There was a pause. Then, Harry huffed, and all hints of nerves vanished from him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to start being fake nice to me just because I have a shitty situation right now, Malfoy.”

Malfoy blinked. 

“Get over yourself, Potter,” Malfoy said, looking offended. “I was merely being polite. Not everything I say is intended to piss you off. You’re just sensitive.”

“I am not! And you were definitely being weird about yesterday. You've never asked how I am,” Harry walked into the living room, turning his back to Malfoy. The other boy followed. 

“Honestly, no wonder you and Weasley get on. Someone so much as mentions money and the other boy loses it.”

“Hey, leave Ron out of this,” Harry whipped around, pointing a finger at Malfoy.

Malfoy through up his hands in a mock surrender.

“Christ are you always this moody, Potter?”

“Like you’re one to talk, Malfoy. Don’t think I have forgotten second year.”

They continued back and forth, sniping off comments about the other purely for the reaction. From the kitchen, Lucius and Sirius watched while setting themselves up. 

“Should we be concerned?” Sirius muttered.

“Of course not. This is nothing,” Mr. Malfoy inspected a piece of paper he pulled from his brief case, ignoring the two boys in the living room. 

“They do this a lot, then?”

Lucius didn’t respond other than raising an eyebrow at Sirius. 

“Boys,” Lucius didn’t even raise his voice. The two stopped talking immediately. “If we want to get any work done today, you need to make yourself scarce. I cannot concentrate with you jabbering at each other all day.”

“What should we do then?” Malfoy asked. 

He looked to Harry for an answer, who merely shrugged. 

“What do you want to do?”

“Honestly,” Lucius sighed. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet. “There was an ice cream shop a few blocks over. Don’t come back for a few hours.”

He handed out a $50 note to his son. Harry stared wide eyed at the money, but Draco didn’t hesitate to step forward and claim the money. He pocketed the note and quickly strode back through the living room to the front door. 

“Let’s go, Potter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, its more a filler I guess. Basically, Lucius knows his son.  
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments!  
> Hopefully an update soon, and Remus I promise!


	11. Cartoons arent just for kids

Each day when Lucius came to discuss business with Sirius, Malfoy came to. The two boys, while under no circumstance claiming to be friends, acted exactly as friends would. They hung out, talked about football and their favourite teams, walked Snuffles, and became regulars at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Malfoy’s favourite flavour was pasticcio, while Harry always stuck with simple hazelnut. Malfoy claimed the other boy was boring, but he always obliged and bought Harry whatever flavour he asked for. 

It was surreal how they went from ripping each other apart to enjoying each other’s company. Some days, Harry wondered if he was only imagining his friendship with Malfoy. Then Malfoy would say something particularly insulting, shocking Harry and cementing that this was reality. 

Though they rarely properly fought throughout those days, there was always the escalation of tension that could become more if they continued. Despite Malfoy being a large distraction for Harry, the upcoming trial was becoming a deep source of stress for the other boy. It was two days before the court date that his stress and Malfoy’s stubbornness met head on. 

It was Tuesday and the rain outside came down in thick drops. The sky was a hazy grey that showed no hints of clearing. With Sirius help, Harry had hauled the television up to his room. That was where he and Malfoy spent the day, perched on Harry’s bed mindlessly flicking for anything that might catch their attention. However, day time television was a not a formidable opponent for boredom, leaving them with nothing but mindless cooking shows, and soap operas to choose from. 

Malfoy had the remote and he never paused longer than a minute before clicking onto the next channel. It was nearing the half-hour mark when it got the better of Harry’s patience.

“Just pick something, Malfoy,” Harry said, after Malfoy changed the channel after two minutes of deliberation on some crappy Spanish drama. 

Harry leaned against his head rest, knees tucked up to his chest while Malfoy sprawled belly down across his bed. 

“I’m looking, Potter,” Malfoy snapped back. “Free television is horrendous. I am trying to find something not completely intolerable.”

They sat in silence again, the only noise in the room the platter of rain on the window and snippets of conversations resonating from the television. 

“Just fucking pick something!”

“Fine!”

Malfoy threw the remote away from him and the TV settled on something called The Love Hospital. The actors were dressed as doctors and nurses and their acting was dramatically  
overdone for the discussion being had. 

All morning things had been tense between the two of them. It was a combination of boredom, stress, and the terrible weather, and neither Harry nor Draco were known for their ability to react rationally to the other.

“What crawled up your ass today?” Malfoy sniped. 

Harry felt like screaming. 

“Oh, I’m sorry I’m a little bit stressed about the fact that I may not be living here in a weeks’ time!” The sentence started through gritted teeth but escalated into sharp words. 

“Jeez, your stressed? I couldn’t tell,” Malfoy responded, rolling his eyes. “Relax, Potter, Father said he would win your case. Trust him.”

“How can I trust him? I barely know him! I don’t even know what I’m going to do if I lose and there is no one I can talk to about it because my friends are in a different country. My godfather is too busy trying to make sure he doesn’t lose me, and each time I try to talk about it, he tells me not to worry!” Harry finished the sentence yelling, his breath frantic and hands gesturing wildly. 

Malfoy remained silent. He stared at the other boy, taking in the dark bags under his eyes and his wild hair. Malfoy sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. 

“None of that is really my fault.”

Harry stilled, and titled his head as he looked at Malfoy. 

“Seriously, that’s all you got?”

“Honestly, Potter. How do you want me to respond to that?” 

There was a pause as Harry narrowed his eyes at the other boy. 

“Alright. How come you haven’t told Granger and Weasley about everything?” Malfoy asked.

Harry groaned.

“Why do you care so much about them knowing?”

“I’m just asking! It really isn’t that difficult a question, Potter.”

“I don’t know, ok!” Harry threw his hands up. 

“No need to get snippy,” Malfoy had the audacity to look like Harry was the crazy one. 

“God, you can’t just leave it, can you!

“Your the one that brought it up. Excuse me for being interested!”

“Your never interested Malfoy. All you do is pry for something to use against me, just so you and your friends can get a kick out of my misery. You’re an egotistical fucking wanker!”

The second the words left his mouth, Harry knew he had made a mistake. A flash of hurt crossed over Malfoy, before his face became blank. 

“You know what Potter?” The words were quiet. They rang threw Harry’s ears. “Fuck you.”

Malfoy stood from the bed. He walked over the corner of the room where he had placed his shoes. He picked them up with his back still turned to Harry and started putting them  
on. 

“What are you doing?” Harry asked, startled. 

“What does it look like, Potter. I’m leaving.”

Harry shuffled to the edge of the bed, placing his feet on the floor. He watched as Malfoy finished putting one shoe on and started on the other. 

Harry had been expecting a fight from the other boy. Harsh words that Harry could retaliate against. He hadn’t been expecting this. 

“Where are you going to go? It’s raining outside.”

“Wow, Potter, excellent observation,” Draco huffed. “I don’t care. I’d rather not stay here with you.”

Guilt ate at Harry, turning over in his stomach and making him feel ill. His head was swimming. He took deep breaths hoping it would calm the haze of adrenaline that had washed over him. He watched as Malfoy finished tying his shoe laces. Malfoy stood and headed to the closed door. His hand was turning the handle when Harry spoke. 

“Wait, Draco,” Malfoy stilled. “Don’t go. I’m sorry.”

Harry watched as the other boy stayed frozen at the door. His back was still turned to Harry and he made no movement except for the rise and fall of his chest. 

“I know that you don’t trust me, but I haven’t done anything but try and help you all week, Potter. I don’t know why you still think I’m going to use everything against you.”

Draco spoke quietly, his head low as he looked to the ground. Harry felt another surge of guilt. 

“I didn’t mean it. I was just looking for a fight.”

“You do that,” It wasn’t a question, just an observation. 

Draco slowly turned around. He looked at Harry with guarded eyes. They stayed like that, staring at each other until Harry looked away. 

“I haven’t told Ron and Hermione because I don’t know how they would react,” Harry picked at the hem of his shirt. “I never even told them about Sirius’s existence.”  
With timid steps, Draco crossed the room to Harry’s bed. He sat beside Harry, causing the bed to dip. Harry’s body leant towards him. There was space between them, but they were still closer than they had ever sat. 

“I guess I’m worried they wont like him, or something. And our whole friendship they have been helping me deal with the Dursleys, this time, I just. I thought I could do it without them. To show them… I don’t know, that they didn’t… I don’t know.”

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t look up from the floor. 

“Do you think they won’t be your friends anymore or something?”

Harry looked up to see Draco’s silver eyes studying his face. There was no malicious intent in the question. 

He nodded. 

“You’re an idiot.”

Harry frowned.

“I mean, come on Potter. Weasley and Granger are your friends. As much as it disgusts me, you three are really close. They aren’t about to dump your ass after all the shit they endured with you, just because you got a new family."

Harry thought about all the nights he had spent at Ron’s house, the other boy begging him to move in with him and his family. He thought about Hermione packing a second lunch everyday for him, always giving him any extra’s she had. He thought about how since moving in with Sirius, his friends concern had grown as he spent less days at Ron’s and started bringing his own meals. Though he assured them everything was fine, he knew they had caught on to a shift in Harry’s life. Things became harder for Harry the longer he put of telling them, and now he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t be pissed at him for the entire situation he had put them in. 

“I guess…”

“Trust me, Harry. It’ll be fine. Just hurry up and tell them before they find out some other way. It’ll be worse if you aren’t the one to tell them.”

Harry looked at Draco like he had grown a second head. 

“What?” Draco huffed.

“You called me Harry.”

A blush crossed across Draco’s face. He coughed. 

“Don’t think anything of it. Besides, you called me Draco first.”

Harry laughed. 

“Whatever, Draco,” Harry said, drawing out the other boy’s name. 

Though the other boy would deny it, Harry saw the pleased smile that crossed his face. 

The television blasted a tune that drew Harry’s attention. On the screen, an animated show was playing, its opening credit filled with robots and explosions. 

“Oh, I love this show! Ron and I used to watch it in first year,” Harry exclaimed. 

Draco looked over to the television with a raised eyebrow. 

“What are you, six?

“Five, actually.”

With that Harry nudged the other boy and climbed over the bed so he was seated back against the bed rest with his legs crossed. He stared intently at the screen and pretended not to notice as Draco resumed his position lying on his stomach. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching crappy kid shows, Harry unashamedly enjoying them, Draco pretending the entire experience was beneath him. Harry knew otherwise though, watching through the corner of his eyes as Draco smiled or gasped whenever something intriguing happened on screen. 

The rain outside had drifted off to a simple sprinkle. Though it was impossible to tell how late in the evening it was, it was nearing the time when Draco had to leave. 

“I don’t think we are coming over tomorrow.”

“What?” Harry asked, shocked. “Why not?”

Draco shrugged. 

“Father thinks Black and you need a break before Thursday.”

“Oh.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. Draco pretended to be watching the television, but Harry knew he wasn’t really interested with what was playing on the screen anymore.

“Are you coming on Thursday?”

Draco looked to Harry. 

“Do you want me to?”

Harry thought for a moment. He picked at his nail beds, tearing skin from his fingers absentmindedly. 

“I think so. Do you mind coming?”

“No, of course not,” Draco responded quickly. “I’ll be there. 

“Thank you,” the words were quiet, but they held deep emotion in them. 

The two boys spent the rest of their time together mindlessly enjoying cartoons, and though they were teenagers, neither felt childish for allowing themselves this small reprise from the seriousness of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and Kudo's!  
> Next chapter has Remus, I promise. Sorry for making you all wait.


	12. Coffee Catch Ups

It was the day before their first court appearance and Harry felt ready to scream. Sirius had secluded himself to his bedroom where Harry knew he was still going over documents for their case. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table listening to the continuous drone of Snuffles deep barks. The dog was playing in the backyard, running around with an abundance of energy that Harry hadn’t been able to replicate. As he played, he barked and barked and barked, and Harry couldn’t help it when the irritation building in his stomach rose up through his chest and bellowed out of his mouth.

“STOP BARKING! Please!”

Harry’s breath was erratic. His shoulders tense. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to supress the overwhelming urge he felt to start sobbing. He dropped his head into his hands rubbing the base of his skull where a deep headache had been ailing him all morning. Snuffles continued barking in the backyard. 

“Harry?”

The voice sounded distant. Like he was swimming, floating on the surface and the noise was filtering through the water to his ears. He didn’t respond. He sat with his head in his hands, his glasses pushed onto his head as he pressed the palms of his hands harshly into his eye socket. He felt like screaming. 

A hand lightly touched his shoulder causing him to jump. When he looked up, his eyes were still blurry from the excessive pressure he had applied to them. 

“Hey, buddy.”

Sirius knelt beside him. His godfather’s face was pale, eyes glassy, and his hair was pulled back into a frizzy bun. 

“How about we get out of the house for a bit?”

Harry couldn’t do much more than nod as Sirius gently guided him from his seat. His godfather opened the back door to let snuffles in, clipping the leash onto his collar before leading them out the front door. 

 

Harry and Sirius passed down the street shoulder to shoulder. Sirius held onto Snuffles leash, who trotted along the pavement with his head high in the air. They walked through into the city, crossing down a small street lined with quaint shops. The midday sun kept most people indoors, leaving just Harry and Sirius to walk along the sidewalk. They had not spoken to each other. They merely walked with sombre expression and slow steps. 

Harry couldn’t decide if he should try and speak or not. The mere effort of talking seemed exhausting, but he hated how quite his godfather was being. In the short time he had gotten to know Sirius, he had learnt quite was never a good thing. 

It was when Harry opened his mouth to a half formed thought for a sentence that he noticed his godfather had fallen behind a few steps.

Harry looked back to Sirius, ceasing his own movement. The colour had drained from the man’s face, and his mouth was agape. Sirius eyes were locked ahead of them, so Harry whipped his head around to see what had caught his godfather’s attention. 

Exiting a small, weathered book store, was a tall man wearing a patchy knitted jumper. His hair was ruffled by the wind, the brown locks in disarray. In his hands were three books; each varied in size. 

“Professor Lupin,” Harry shouted before he could stop himself.

The man looked up from the books he carried. Even though he was far away, Harry could see the smile on his face as he looked to Harry and Sirius. He started to walk towards them. 

“Fuck,” Sirius breathed. 

“Sorry,” Harry said, not feeling at all sorry. 

Harry watched as panic washed over Sirius the closer Professor Lupin got. He felt a twinge of panic himself, watching his godfather freak out.

“Hello, you two,” Professor Lupin greeted them with a cheery voice. There were deep bags under his eyes and the scars on his face looked irritated. “What are you up to? Out for a walk with your new dog?”

As if knowing his presence was acknowledged, Snuffles let out a soft boof, wagging his tails as he sniffed the new man in front of him. 

“Hi, uh, hello, Moony,” Sirius stumbled over his words.

Professor Lupin bent down to pat Snuffles, who was now holding his paw up for the man to shake. Harry waited for Sirius to say more. When he continued staring gaped mouth, Harry sent a sharp jab with his elbow into his godfathers’ side. 

“Ouch,” Sirius jumped and rubbed his side. “Uh, yeah we’re just out for a walk. Needed to get out of the house.”

“I see,” Remus looked at them through his hair, still bent over as he patted Snuffles. “Well, if you aren’t too busy, why don’t we go and get a cup of coffee? I would love to catch up.”

Sirius looked to be racking his brains for an excuse out, but before he could think of anything, Harry responded. 

“That sounds great!”

He ignored the offended look Sirius shot him. 

“Oh, wonderful,” Remus said, his voice soft. “Shall we go now then?”

 

Sirius struggled to think of something to say to Remus. 

The three of them sat out the front of a quiet corner café, Sirius and Remus across from each other with Harry between them. Snuffles had flopped to the floor, his tongue lolling outside of his grinning mouth as he sniffed the air around him. The morning had turned overcast, the sky a dull grey that refused to clear or rain. The square table they sat at was wooden, and the cutlery was already set out for them.

Sirius was a mess. His arms felt itchy, his hands cold despite the heat of the day making his forehead sweat, and his hair tickled his face as it fell from his messy bun. He listened as Harry and Remus made senseless small talk, flittering around any real topic. When the waiter came over, he mindlessly ordered from the menu, uncaring of what would arrive. 

“I still have no idea how I passed last year’s Ancient Location project,” Harry said. 

“It wasn’t as bad as you thought it was,” Remus took a sip of water from one of the cups the waiter dropped off.

“It wasn’t good though,” Harry laughed. 

They had been sharing stories of Hogwarts. Remus was commending Harry on his school work while Harry tried to undermine his achievements. As they talked, Sirius felt clued out. He didn’t even know what kind of relationship Remus had built with Harry. When had they even met? 

“What is it you teach, Moony?” Sirius was surprised to find himself ask.

Remus cleared his throat and looked to Sirius. 

“Well, I teach geography as my core subject, but I take on Philosophy for the senior elective’s.”

“He’s the best teacher at Hogwarts,” Harry chipped in with a smile. 

“Huh,” Sirius responded. 

Silence came over the table. Sirius looked into the café, hoping that the waiter would read his mind and would come out with their order at the ready. She didn’t. Instead, he remained without distraction, sitting across from his ex-boyfriend and godson. 

Beneath them, Snuffles jumped up, shaking the table, causing cutlery to clatter. He let out a sharp bark in Harry’s direction.

“I, uh, think he needs to go,” Harry said.

“Go where?” Remus asked, lifting his eyebrow.

“You know…Like, go.”

‘Oh!”

Harry jumped up from his seat. He reached down and grabbed Snuffles lead, pulling him away from their table.

“I’ll be back. I’m going to take him to the park we crossed a few streets back.”

Sirius wanted to protest. He wanted to take the lead from his godson and walk Snuffles himself, but Harry had already turned away, leaving him alone with Moony. 

“Be safe,” Sirius yelled out. He could hear Harry laughing as he walked away.

Sirius ran a hand over his face, feeling the scratch of his stubble has he dug his nails across his chin. Remus hadn’t looked away from him. Sirius was actively avoiding eye contact. He watched a stray newspaper blow across the road, the pages separating as they flew in a multitude of directions.

“How have you been, Sirius? Really.”

There was something in the other man’s tone. A softness Remus used whenever he knew Sirius had been up to something. It left Sirius wanting to both scream his head off and curl up into a ball in the other man’s arms, holding him as tightly as he could.

He took a deep breath before answering, finally making eye contact with Remus. He forgot how much he had missed those amber eyes. 

“It’s been tough.” Sirius didn’t elaborate. 

Remus expression stayed blank, a false blanket of calm. Sirius knew Remus though. He saw the twitch in the other man’s hand, the tapping of his foot, the glint in his eyes. Remus was anxious. Yet, he was more patient than Sirius. He always had been. So, they sat in silence, Remus staring him down with a raised eyebrow and thinly pressed lips until Sirius couldn’t stand it any longer. 

“I don’t fucking know anymore, Moony!” Sirius exploded, throwing his hands into the air. “What do you want me to say? That I’ve adjusted well to life outside of prison? That I don’t wake up from nightmares every fucking night? That I’m not pissed about the fact I missed out on twelve fucking years of my life because of a fucking mistake I made when I was twenty? What is it you want to hear?!”

Remus sat back in chair. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as though physically hurt by the words Sirius just spoke. When he opened them, Sirius noticed how glassy his eyes were, and his chest ached to see the man he loved so close to tears.

“I visited you,” the words were barely above a whisper. Remus sniffed. 

Sirius leaned back, and exhaustion fell over him. 

“I know… I’m sorry. I didn’t want you seeing me like that.”

Remus slowly nodded. His lips were thinly pressed, as though he was trying to keep himself from crying out. He swallowed deeply.

“What about Harry then? Why is he with you?”

Sirius let out a humourless laugh. 

“The Hearing's tomorrow. That’s why we had to get out this morning. Couldn’t sit there thinking about it anymore.”

Remus stared at him. His hand no longer twitched, and a stillness overcome him.

“…what Hearing, Sirius?”

Sirius felt a wave of nausea roll over his stomach. He sat up straight as he studied Remus’s panicked face. 

“The Custody Hearing…against his relatives.”

Remus paused, tilting his head to the side. 

“He was living with Lily’s sister, wasn’t he? Petunia. Why is he with you now?”

“Well, surely you know about Harry’s relatives. How long have you been teaching him?”

“Sirius, what are you talking about?” Remus frowned. 

Sirius opened and closed his mouth. Dread was filling him. He wasn’t even sure how to bring up the topic with Remus, let alone explain everything that had been going on with Harry’s home life.

“Didn’t you ever notice anything weird with him and his relatives Remus?” Sirius leant forward, placing his elbows on the table. 

Remus simply shook his head. His eyes were wide.

“Shit, Remus…” Sirius breathed. He shook his head slightly. “I mean, I figured you would have noticed… you and James were the first to pick up on how my mum treated me.”

Sirius heard Remus inhale sharply.

“No,” Remus said firmly, his head shaking in jagged sharp motions. “No! Don’t tell me Harry wasn’t treated like that. Don’t tell me he was living in an abusive household, and I didn’t do anything to…”

His words cut off as his throat closed up. Sirius licked his lips and looked away from the man falling apart in front of him. 

“He hid it well, Remus… I only found out because he let me.”

“And that’s meant to make me feel better?!” The words were said through a sharp whisper, like Remus couldn’t speak any louder. “Fuck!”

“He isn’t with them anymore, Remus. I’ve had him for months now, and I’m working on making sure he never has to go back there.”

Remus sat with his head in his hands. His breathes were shallow. He let out a hollow, near hysterical laugh. 

“This is not how I thought seeing you again would go.”

Sirius quirked his lips. 

“How did you imagine it would go?”

Remus huffed and rolled his eyes. 

“I thought maybe I would punch you, tell you off for being an idiot,” Remus mumbled. Sirius eyes dropped to the ground in disappointment. “Then I thought about kissing you, telling you how much I fucking missed you. God, I missed you, Pads.”

Sirius smiled a small, unhappy smile. 

“I missed you too, Moony. So fucking much.”

“Then why didn’t you call?” Remus’s voice trembled. “Why didn’t you come and see me after you got out?”

Sirius took a deep breath. 

“I don’t know,” Sirius scratched his forehead. “I got so caught up in seeing Harry and then officially getting custody of him. I just kept thinking next week I’ll call Moony, and then that week came and I though next week for sure and… I just couldn’t make that call Remus.”

Remus nodded. 

“I get it. I mean, you’re an asshole, and an idiot, but I get it.”

Sirius laughed fully, opened mouthed and eyes closed. He had missed how blunt Moony could be. When Remus joined in laughing with him, it felt like everything was normal again. Like everything between them, all the years spent away from each other and the fights they had, meant nothing, and they loved each other again. 

When their laughter died down and they had caught their breath, neither spoke. They just smiled at the other, content with this time together. 

“I’ve got one flat white and two hot chocolates,” the waitress was standing at their table balancing a tray with three mugs. 

“Flat whites mine,” Sirius smiled at the waitress as she placed the mug in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the Kudo's and Comments!  
> I hope this chapter is alright, I'm a bit new to writing Wolfstar. I hope everything wasn't too rushed.


	13. A Good Gossip...Siriusly?

“So, what do you think?”

Sirius showed Remus into the living room. The other man looked beautiful in the afternoon light that streamed through the window. A golden haze surrounded him, and the longer Sirius looked, the harder he found it to look away. He kept himself occupied by showing Remus around the house, but every time he entered a new room, Sirius noticed messes he hadn’t before. Like the stain on their second-hand couch, or the pealing wallpaper shedding down the hallway walls. 

Harry watched them from the kitchen table, sipping on a juice box Sirius had picked up from the supermarket. It was the good brand. The one Dudley use to lord over Harry for never being allowed to have. The sweet taste filled his mouth and trickled down his throat.

After their coffee’s arrived, Harry had come around the corner and made his way to their table. Snuffles trotted alongside him and resumed his position laying, as Harry took his seat. Sirius had pretended not to notice his godson’s sly smirk. The three of them spent the rest of their morning at the café. They chatted over coffee, and when that was all gone, decided to order lunch. Remus ordered a salad, while Harry and Sirius had burgers. 

As they chatted, Harry found it hard not to noticed how close Sirius and Remus now seemed. His godfather no longer looked like he wanted to bolt every time the other man spoke. Now, he laughed and joked with Remus, and he used any excuse he could to touch the sandy haired man. A pat on the shoulder. Sneaking food from his plate. He even once tried to go for a high five. Harry had facepalmed as his godfather held up his hand, but Remus begrudgingly high fived Sirius.

“It’s lovely, Pads.”

Remus stood in the centre of the small living room, smiling softly at Sirius. 

“I got it real cheap,” Sirius gestured around the room. “I mean, I think I did. The agent said it was a good deal.”

“Of course she did, Sirius. She was a real estate agent.”

Sirius opened and closed his mouth. He quirked his head to the side. 

“True.”

Remus walked closer to him. They stood facing each other under the archway connecting the kitchen and living room.

“I’m glad things have worked out for you, Padfoot. You deserve to have a good home.”

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. He crossed his arms.

“What about you, Moony? Where have you been living?”

“Nowhere as nice as this,” he laughed. 

Sirius hummed, looking concerned by the words. The conversation halted. Sirius pointed to the kitchen. 

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Oh, yes please.”

Sirius walked into the kitchen and set about filling the kettle with water. When it was full, he placed it on its base and flipped the switch. The water started gurgling. Remus joined Harry at the table, sending the young boy a grin. Harry gave a small smile in return. Together they watched Sirius search the kitchen cupboards. 

“Harry, tea?”

“Actually, Sirius,” Harry said, pealing the wrapper off his juice. “Would it be ok if I called Draco and asked if he wants to hang out?”

“Oh yeah, of course Harry,” Sirius inspected two black mugs as he spoke to Harry. “Do you know his number?”

“Yeah, he gave it to me yesterday,” Harry continued tearing the juice box. “So, you don’t mind if I use the phone? I promise I will be quick.”

“Harry,” Sirius smiled at his godson, a sad look in his eyes. “Don’t worry about that. Take your time. Besides, if you end up on the phone with Cissy your going to be a while. Trust me.”

Harry laughed, but his grin was genuine. It was like he still wasn’t used to being told yes. And he wasn’t. He stood up and made his way to the hallway where their landline was hanging.

“Who is he calling?” Remus asked, his voice high pitched, incredulous. 

“Oh, you know Draco Malfoy. He’s in the same year as Harry.”

Sirius retrieved the milk carton from the fridge. 

“Wait, you mean Harry is calling Draco Malfoy? As in Lucius’s kid.”

Sirius blinked. 

“I mean, yeah.”

“Why is Harry calling Draco Malfoy?!”

Sirius placed the cup of tea in front of Remus, filled with milk and two sugars. 

“To hang out?”

 

Harry carefully pressed the numbers on the telephone, pausing between each button to check the rumpled piece of paper Draco had given him yesterday. When Harry was sure he got it right, he pressed the phone to his ear and listened as it began ringing. He twirled the cord as he waited for someone to answer. 

“Good afternoon, Malfoy residents,” a female voice spoke.

“Um, hello. This is Harry. Uh, Harry Potter. I was wondering if Draco was there?”

“Oh, hi Harry. How have you been darling?”

“Um,” Harry frowned. “Good.”

There was shuffling on the other end of the phone.

“That’s good! And how has Sirius been? Not spoiling you too badly, I hope.”

Harry scratched his neck and wondered who he was speaking to. 

“He’s good. We went out for lunch today.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear. And how are you feeling about tomorrow? I know my Draco has been very worried for you. He got his good suit out today to make sure it still fits.”

Harry though to the suit Sirius had picked up for him, hanging in his near barren wardrobe. 

“I’ve been alright. Trying to keep busy.”

“MUM!” The shout from the other end of the phone caused Harry to jump.

“Oh, Draco darling, calm down. I’m just chatting.”

“JUST GIVE ME THE PHONE!”

“Honestly, I raised you with more patience than that,” she sighed. “Ok, then. It was lovely chatting with you Harry, but Draco is absolutely dying to talk to you, so I best be off.”

Harry could hear Draco groaning on the other phone and had to suppress his laughter. 

“Bye, Mrs. Malfoy. Nice chatting with you.”

“Oh, such a polite boy,” shuffling noises filled his ears as Mrs. Malfoy handed the phone to her son. Before Draco could say hello though, Harry heard the distant voice of his mother again. “He really is a keeper, Draco.”

Harry felt his face heat up. He wondered what Mrs. Malfoy meant by that. He let out a nervous laugh that he hoped Draco wouldn’t hear. 

“Mum!” Draco whined in the distance, before talking into the phone. “Sorry about her. My parents don’t really understand boundaries.”

Harry laughed. 

“Your mum seems really nice.”

“She can be, when it suits her,” Draco said. “So, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”

“Nothing!” Harry quickly assured him. “I was just wondering if you were busy, or if you wanted to hang out, or something?”

“Yeah alright.”

Harry couldn’t identify the feeling that turned over in his stomach. 

“What were you thinking of doing?” Draco asked.

Harry hadn’t. He had been so stressed out just from the thought of asking Malfoy if he wanted to hang out, he hadn’t planned this far ahead. 

“You don’t have a plan, do you?” Draco must have heard him umming over the phone. 

“A movie?” Harry asked suddenly. “I haven’t been to the cinemas in years.”

The last time Harry had gone was with Ron and Hermione back in third year. It was one of the best memories he had with his friends. It was summer and the three of them had stocked up on candies and soft drink before heading to the cinema to watch a movie about space. Hermione had been furious at them for making her sneak food into the cinemas.

“It’s against the rules,” She had hissed at them, while Harry and Ron shoved soda cans and lollies into their pockets.

She gave in once they were safely in their seats, taking the packet of Oreo’s Harry had stashed in for her. After the movie they had gone home to Ron’s house. They spent the night in a tent they had set up in the field, trying to convince Hermione the stars they saw were the fictional planets shown in the movie. 

Harry wondered what Ron and Hermione would think if they knew he was inviting Draco Malfoy to the cinemas with him. 

“Yeah that sounds good,” Draco said. “Do you want to meet me at the cinema in half hour? We can check what’s on.”

Harry quickly agreed and hung up. He could hear Sirius and Professor Lupin chatting in the kitchen, their words low. 

Harry thought about leaving now and getting there early, before he looked down at his clothes. He was caked in dirt and dust from walking Snuffles through the park. He thought about how Draco always looked when they met up. Like a model in a magazine, his blonde hair done perfectly, his clothes well fitted. Harry always looked like a mess in comparison. With that thought, he ran upstairs for a shower. 

Harry showered quickly enough that steam barely started to form in the bathroom. He towelled himself off, before wrapping the towel around his waist. Then, he crossed the hallway to his room in search of clothes. 

As he opened his drawers, Harry realised how limited his options were. Stained shirts and baggy jeans seemed to be all Harry owned. Most of his wardrobe still consisted of hand-me-downs from Dudley. As Harry dug around for something new, he realised Draco had already seen him in all the clothes he owned. He wondered if the other boy thought he were a slob. Then he berated himself for caring so much about what Malfoy thought. 

The thought remained with him though, and for the first time in his life, Harry wished he could go shopping for new clothes. 

He put on his usual baggy blue jeans and stained white t-shirt. Then he took them off. Harry dug to the bottom and managed to pull out a blue shirt that was relatively unstained. He put it on. He dug around some more, before finding a pair of black jeans. Harry realised when he put them on, they were hole-ridden. He took them off. He was standing in his boxers and the only unstained shirt he owned, a slight chill making him shiver, when he got an idea. He ran to the door and stuck his head out into the hallway. 

“Hey Sirius!” He called out.

“Yeah?” Sirius’s voice echoed up the staircase. 

“Can I please borrow a pair of your skinny jeans?”

Even though Sirius was taller than him, Harry was only slightly skinnier than his godfather. Besides, Harry was sure they would fit better than anything the Dursleys gave him.

“Sure. Top drawer of my dresser.”

Harry quickly ran into his godfathers’ room at the end of the hall, trying not to slip on the wooden floor. 

Sirius’s room was undeniably bigger than Harry’s. The walls were painted darker, a deep maroon coating one wall, while the others were a hazy grey. Harry knew it was from Sirius trying different shades of paint when he first bought the place. His godfathers’ bed was king sized, the header made of wood that had chipped in some places. The doona cover was a simple black and white design. A door leading to an ensuite was slightly open, showing glimpses of a white bathroom. 

Harry’s favourite thing about Sirius’s room was the number of photos he had. Hanging on the wall was a photo of a younger Sirius, with his brother and two cousins, standing in front of a school. On top of his dresser was a framed photo of Sirius in a field, arm slung over the shoulder of Harry’s father and what he now recognised as a younger Professor Lupin. Other pictures of the group hung over the mirror as well, some even featuring Harry’s mother. Her red hair was unmistakable. Harry’s favourite though, was the framed photo of a baby Harry resting on Sirius’s hip. It was placed on his godfather’s bedside table and Harry had nearly cried the first time he saw it. It was the first baby photo he had ever seen of himself. 

Harry walked towards the dresser and carefully opened the top drawer. Everything inside it was black. Carefully, Harry sifted through the mess of unfolded clothes until he found what he was after. He quickly tried the black skinny jeans on, shoving his legs into the pants, hopping to pull them up. He quickly walked out of Sirius’s room, shutting the door softly behind him. 

He ran into his bathroom to check himself out in the mirror. The pants were long, hanging over his feet, and they needed a belt to be held up but overall, they were still better than anything Harry owned. He rolled up the legs, so they stopped above his ankle, then smiled at himself in the mirror. 

He patted his hair down, the half damp frizz remaining untameable. Nevertheless, he ran his fingers through the black curls for a few minutes, before giving up. He nodded at his reflection, before heading down the stairs. 

“Whoa, looking good, buddy,” Sirius said the second his godson entered the kitchen.

Harry’s felt his face heat up at his godfathers’ comment. Remus chuckled his low, gentle laugh.

“Where are you off to?” Sirius asked. He sat across from Professor Lupin, his hands curled around the tea mug.

“Draco and I are going to check out the movies and see what’s on,” Harry eyes widened as he realised, he hadn’t asked Sirius if he could go out. “Is that alright?”

“Yeah, have fun! My wallet is on the cupboard by the door. Take however much money you need.”

Harry paused.

“What, really?”

“How else are you going to pay for a ticket, Prongslet?” Sirius laughed.

A pang sparked in Harry’s chest at Sirius’s nickname. He couldn’t tell if it was from sadness, happiness, or a mix of both. He quickly thanked Sirius and left the kitchen, shouting a goodbye to the two men. 

Sirius and Remus listened as Harry shut the door behind him.

“I still can’t believe Harry and Malfoy are friendly. I feel like I’ve woken up in an alternate reality,” Remus shook his head. 

“What’s so hard to believe about it? They can’t be that bad,” Sirius frowned. “…right?” 

Remus shook his head and took a sip of his tea. 

“Honestly? Yes,” He said. “Ever since First Year, all they’ve done is try and kill each other. They’re as bad as you and Snape were.”

“Rubbish!” Sirius exclaimed. 

“It’s true,” Remus laughed. Sirius soon joined in. 

“Well, I’ll tell you what. I don’t think they are exactly like we were, because I highly doubt Snape ever had a crush on me,” Sirius shuddered, the thought making him want to gag. 

“No!” Remus gasped, his eyes wide. “You’re joking?! You can’t be serious.”

Sirius broke out into a sharp grin, pure delight dancing in his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond. 

“Wait, no! Don’t you dare make that pun, Sirius! You know what I meant.”

Sirius barked out a laugh.

“Well, I am serious, either way.”

Remus rolled his eyes. His fingers tapped the edge of his ceramic glass as he thought.

“Wait, so which one has a crush on the other? And how did you find this all out? I mean, honestly, this is just…bloody unbelievable!”

Sirius cleared his throat.

“The first day Lucius brought Draco over, I realised. I thought there was going to be a fist fight, I won’t lie, but then I brought it up to Lucius, and apparently, he reckons Draco has wanted to be friends with Harry since First Year. Not that the kid would ever admit it, he said,” Sirius gestured wildly with his hands. “And, to be honest, the more I saw them interact, I kind of figured why Lucius thought that.”

Remus sat still, mouth open and looking at Sirius in disbelief. 

“Well, what about Harry then? Surely, he doesn’t feel the same,” Remus shifted in his seat. “I mean he’s straight. Just this year he had a crush on an older girl…Cho Chang.”

“Since when has your gaydar ever been anything but terrible, Moony,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “Besides, I wasn’t sure Harry felt the same way, either. Not until about ten minutes ago.”

Remus narrowed his eyes. He gestured for Sirius to elaborate. 

“Oh, come on Moony!” Sirius exclaimed. “Just then, when Harry asked to borrow my clothes? Did you not pick up on that?!”

Remus hummed.

“I thought he might’ve borrowed your clothes all the time.”

“Never! That was the first time I have ever seen Harry care about what he wore. And I mean, it makes sense that he came to his fashionable and good-looking godfather for help, right?”

Remus shook his head. He took a sip from his mug to hide his amused smirk. As he sipped, he mulled over the information he had just received, thinking about all the fights he had broken up between Harry and Malfoy. 

The longer he thought, the more he realised how much sense Sirius was making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Movie date, anyone??  
> Thanks for all the comments and Kudos! <3  
> I wont lie, this is not my best work. Uni has my brain fried. I hope it isn't filled with to many errors!


	14. Not A Date turned to not a date

Harry watched the sun sink low in the sky, a haze of orange and pink stretching across the city. He had caught the bus into town where the nearest cinema was. The entire trip he hadn’t been able to keep his legs from twitching, his nerves keeping him unfocused. He had nearly missed his stop, to busy staring out the window as he thought about meeting Draco. Thankfully, he realised just before the bus door slid shut, and ran up isle, ignoring the glare he received from the driver. 

Draco was standing outside the cinemas when Harry rounded the corner from the bus stop. His pale face and blonde hair were shining underneath the fluorescent lights above him. Harry watched as Draco surveyed the diminishing afternoon crowd with a disinterested look. He was tapping his foot, and he could practically hear him tsk-ing at Harry’s tardiness. 

He hurried his steps. 

Harry knew the second Draco spotted him. His eyes widened and he smiled a small, smug smile that Harry knew he should have despised but instead made his heart skip a beat. Harry tripped. He managed to keep himself from falling completely, but his faltered step was made obvious by the smack his shoes made as he stomped on the pavement. He looked up to check if Draco had noticed. The other boy was laughing, his hand covering his mouth. Harry felt his cheeks heat up as he rushed the last few steps to the cinema. 

“Have a nice trip, Potter?” Draco snickered. 

“Shut up, Malfoy. Who even says that anymore!” 

Draco smirked. Harry walked past him and into the cinemas, knowing without looking Draco would follow him.

The smell of popcorn was the first thing Harry noticed as he entered the lobby. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he savoured the enticing scent. There was no line at the ticket counter, just a bored looking worker staring at nothing. He didn’t even look at Harry and Draco as they paused in the middle of the lobby. In the corner sat a small arcade. A boy a bit older than them was aggressively playing the pinball machine. It chimed and pinged each time the boy pressed the buttons. 

The lobby walls were lined with movie posters. A man and a woman kissed on one poster, and Harry averted his eyes quickly. Another was a classic action movie, a still shot with explosions and cops on the cover. He saw Draco roll his eyes at it, and he knew they wouldn’t be seeing that movie. Harry kept looking.

“What movie should we watch?” Harry asked. 

“What about that one?” Draco pointed to a poster of a man holding a bunch of balloons. Harry couldn’t read the title. 

“What language is that even in?”

“French, of course.”

“But I don’t know French.”

“There’s subtitles, Potter. You can read, can’t you?”

Harry didn’t want to admit that he struggled to read things from afar. The glasses his Aunt had picked up from the store had helped his sight, but he had to sit up the front in most classes if he wanted to be able to read from the board. He wasn’t about to tell Draco that though.

“Of course I can read! I just don’t want to watch a boring French movie.”

“No culture,” Draco scoffed under his breath.

They went back to browsing the posters. 

“If you can’t decide on a movie, I suggest you see that one,” A dreamy voice spoke beside him, causing Harry to jump. 

A girl with the same shade of blonde as Draco’s smiled vacantly at him. Harry noticed she was pointing to a poster full of different fantasy creatures like centaurs, elves and massive spiders standing in a forest. The title read The Forbidden Forest.

“Oh…ok. What’s it like?”

“It’s simply lovely. I’ve already seen it five times this summer,” she smiled again, the same soft eyes staring at Harry. She held up five fingers for Harry to see.

He stared back at her, unsure what to say. They stood in silence for a few moments before Draco spoke. 

“Hello Luna,” Draco said in his monotone, bored voice. 

The girl turned her smile to Draco. She looked him up and down.

“Hello dear cousin. Your knargles are particularly fierce today.”

Harry frowned. 

“What are-”

“Don’t ask,” Draco cut him off. 

Harry slowly nodded. He studied the girl standing beside them. She wore a frilly lilac dress, sky blue stockings and large doc martins. A necklace made from every variety of beads was strewn across her neck and as she stood there swaying, it jingled and clanked. 

“You’re Harry Potter.”

Harry blinked. 

“Um, yeah. And your… Luna?” Harry scratched his head. 

Luna smiled brighter after he said her name. She nodded. 

“Luna Lovegood. I’m in the year below you and Draco.”

“Oh, like Ginny Weasley.”

“Oh yes. I do enjoy having classes with Ginny. This year in potions she yelled at the boys for teasing me,” Luna frowned. “I wasn’t too bothered by them, but it was certainly nice of her to stand up to them for me. No one has ever done that before.”

Harry’s felt a squeeze in his chest. He was reminded of primary school, and no one ever standing up to Dudley for him. He remembered how happy he felt the first time Ron yelled at Draco for being rude to him.

“That was really nice of her,” Harry looked to his feet.

An awkward pause of silence fell between them. Draco cleared his throat.

“Are you here with anyone, Luna?’ Draco asked. 

“No.”

Luna didn’t say more. She simply swayed some more, causing her frilly dress to twirl. 

“Really? Why not?” Harry asked, although he already suspected the answer. 

The longer he thought, the more he realised he had seen Luna before at school. On the way to classes, eating lunch, even sitting on the grand stand watching soccer. Harry had never noticed, or most likely never cared enough to, but she had always been alone. 

“Oh, I don’t have any friends.”

Harry nodded at the answer. He looked at Draco and raised his eyebrow. Draco, in response, shook his head slightly as his eyes widened. Harry gestured with his head to Luna, who was still staring vacantly at the movie posters. Draco threw his head back and let out a silent but deep sigh. 

“Luna, would you like to come and see the movie with us?” Draco asked in a droning, emotionless voice. 

For the first time in their conversation, Harry saw a break in Luna’s dreamy vacant stare. 

“You want me to...” She paused, frowning. “You want to watch the movie with me?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “That is, if you want to.”

“I would love to,” Luna beamed. 

Her happiness was contagious, Harry thought, as he smiled with her. 

“Guess that’s what we are watching then,” Draco sighed. “I’ll go buy the tickets.”

Harry tried to argue with him, to insist he could pay for his own tickets, but Draco was already off. Harry kept an eye on him as he walked away, noticing his sullen attitude. The lag in his steps, the slight slouch in his usually perfect posture. Harry shook his head. 

He chatted quietly with Luna as they waited for Draco. Harry no idea what half the things she said were, but he found himself enjoying her company. It was different to hanging out with Ron and Hermione, and even Draco. Unlike the others, Harry never felt any pressure to share with Luna as they talked. She was simply content to discuss whatever interested her, regardless of Harry’s contribution. 

When Draco walked over to them, he carried two large boxes of popcorn. He still had a sour look on his face. 

“Thank you,” Harry smiled at Draco at he took one of the boxes. “You didn’t have to buy me popcorn though.”

“Would you rather I had not gotten it for you?” Draco snapped. 

Harry was shocked by the outburst. He watched as Draco held out the other box for Luna to take. 

“No, I just meant I didn’t expect you to get it for me. I had money,” Draco looked ready to snap at him again. “But thank you for getting it for me. I don’t think I’ve ever actually had popcorn from the cinemas. It always smells so nice though.”

“That was very nice of you, cousin,” Luna spoke. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, well,” Draco took a deep breath. “The movie starts in about ten minutes. Shall we go in?”

“I might pop off to the loo first, if that’s alright?” Luna asked.

Draco rolled his eyes and nodded. Luna handed him back the popcorn, before flouncing off in the direction of the loo. 

While they waited, Draco refused to look at or speak to Harry. He ground his teeth as he watched the boy on the pinball machine with narrow eyes. He looked ready to hurl Luna’s popcorn at him each time he made a loud noise. 

“Hey,” Harry said softly.

“What?” Draco still didn’t look at him. 

Harry gently placed his hand on Draco’s arm. The other boy inhaled sharply, his eyes darting down to stare at Harry’s hand on his bicep. 

“Look, I appreciate you letting Luna tag along with us,” Harry mumbled, keeping a look out in case said girl appeared. “I know what its like not to have any friends and, like… I don’t know, I think this means a lot to her. Next time we can hang out by ourselves. Promise.”

Draco stared at him, his posture stiff, eyes still wide. He nodded. 

Harry smiled, and Draco’s cheeks pinkened. 

“Oh, I know,” Harry said cheerfully. “Let’s get dinner after the movie, just us. My shout, seeing as you bought the movie tickets.”

Finally, Draco smiled back at him. 

“Alright. That sounds good.”

Luna walked from the bathroom. As he saw her approach, Harry dropped his hand from Draco’s arm, who frowned at the movement. 

“Will we go in now?” Luna asked in her dreamy voice. 

“Sure. Let’s go,” Draco handed her back the box of popcorn. 

 

The movie was better than both Harry and Draco expected. It was full of major fights between different mythical creatures and the graphics were the best Harry had ever seen. They walked out of the cinemas, happily chatting with Luna about the movie. 

“But what was the whole plotline with the stone? They didn’t even use it,” Harry threw his hands up.

“Well its about human morality, of course,” Luna said. 

“What?” Harry frowned. 

“It was all about choice, and they chose not to use it. It was really quite beautiful.”

Harry looked to Draco. The other boy simply shook his head, telling him to drop it. So, Harry nodded along to whatever Luna said, letting her explain the complex ideas behind the film. 

“How are you getting home, Luna?” Draco asked when she finally finished. 

“Dads picking me up. He should be waiting outside for me actually.”

“Ok,” Draco opened the lobby door, letting Luna and Harry walk out before him. “We will walk you to the car.”

The air outside had a faint chill. Harry could feel goose-bumps scatter across his skin, and he saw Luna cross her arms to ward against the chill. They walked a few metres up the street before Luna waved to a car; a beat up, bright orange, punch buggy. Harry snickered a little at the sight of it. It was exactly the type of car he expected for someone like Luna. 

“Thank you so very much for letting me join you tonight,” Luna smile was bright. “Would you like a ride home?”

“No thank you, Luna,” Draco said. “Father will be sending someone for us.”

With another quick goodbye and beautiful smile, Luna walked off, opening the car door and sliding in. The hunk of metal protested with each movement she made, before taking off with a few splutters and croaks. Luna waved them off through the open window. 

“She seems nice,” Harry watched as the car drove off.

“Yeah, she is. Most people just can’t deal with the weirdness though,” Draco started walking up the street. “Where should we eat?”

Harry shrugged. 

“You can choose. Nothing fancy though! Just somewhere that does takeaway, alright?”

Draco rolled his eyes. They fell silent as they walked up the street into the city centre. 

“Draco?” 

The boy hummed. 

“Are you and Luna really cousins?”

“No, Potter, she just calls me that for the fun of it,” Draco replied sarcastically. “Yes, we are cousins, you dolt. Why?”

“I just… you guys are like polar opposites, is all.”

“Lucky me,” Draco mumbled. 

Harry went silent as he thought. 

“What now, Potter?”

“I just, I don’t know. She seems lonely. Does she really not have any friends?”

Draco groaned. 

“I don’t know if you noticed, Potter, but she isn’t exactly normal. No one at Hogwarts is friends with her because she’s weird. That’s why everyone calls her Loony Lovegood.”

“That’s awful!”

“That’s life.”

“Well, why aren’t you friends with her at school? You’re her cousin, after all.”

“You act like that means something. Honestly, me hanging out with her at school would mean social suicide. Pansy and Blaise would never let me live it down,” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Potter, but we can’t all be bleeding hearts like you.”

Harry stopped walking. He frowned as he looked at Draco. 

“What?” Draco sighed as he stopped and turned to Harry. 

A gust of wind blew past them. Harry crossed his arms.

“Sometimes, I forget what your like at school. Like most of the summer, you’ve been a really great friend to me, and I can forget how we are at Hogwarts,” Harry sighed. “But then you say shit like that and… I don’t know, I guess it reminds me how much of a dick you can be.”

As soon as he said it, Harry expected a fight. He expected harsh words, screaming, maybe even fists. What he wasn’t expecting, was for Draco to do nothing. 

The other boy simply stared at Harry, expressionless and unmoving. He exhaled a sharp breath of air, but otherwise didn’t make a sound. When he finally moved, it was to turn away from Harry. 

“What about chips for dinner?” The words were barely murmured. 

Harry paused before nodding. 

Without saying another word, the two boys started walking again, both noticing but neither talking about the spark of warmth they felt as their arms brushed against each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys!  
> Sorry for no update last week. Things got hectic!  
> Here is the movie date turned not a movie date, haha sorry not sorry. I love Luna too much not to include her.  
> Anyway, thank you for all the comments and Kudos, they are so lovely! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I apologise for any spelling or grammar errors, I was in a rush to get this out for you.


	15. My Godfather and my Teacher.

“Thanks for coming out tonight,” Harry said, feet planted on the sidewalk as he hunched through the opened car door. 

“Don’t mention it, Potter.” 

Draco rolled his eyes, his body angled away from Harry. He looked his usual snarky, unpleasant self, except Harry could now see the amusement twinkling in his eyes and his quirked lip. 

“See you tomorrow, right?” 

At this, the boys act dropped, and Harry was graced with one of the few genuine expressions he had seen from Draco. Furrowed eyebrows, concerned eyes, and a tight smile. 

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Harry snorted, before waving a final goodbye and slamming the car door shut. The expensive-looking black car began rolling away as Harry headed up the footpath to his home. 

The chill of the night blew against Harry’s exposed skin, sending a shiver through his body. He crossed his arms and jogged the last steps to the front door. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face, the memories of the night washing over him. Comments from Draco that made him laugh so hard his stomach hurt, the dumb, theatrical manner in which the other boy spoke, the tickling of his arms brushing against Harry’s as they sat on a park bench eating fried chips.

Draco had kept his mind occupied throughout the night, chirping about whatever meaningless topic had offended him while Harry simply smiled and agreed, uncaring for their usual fight, if it meant his peaceful evening was disturbed.

Reaching into his pocket, Harry pulled out his house keys, trying his hardest to keep them from jingling while he unlocked the door. It wasn’t late, but Harry didn’t know if Sirius would already be asleep. His Uncle had been notorious for sleeping early, waking at the crake of dawn, expecting him to have served breakfast. Harry had gotten good at sneaking around throughout the night. 

All the lights in the house were off. The only thing lighting the room was the faint glow of the television. Gently closing the door, Harry crept through the hallway, intent to head straight to his room. However, when he got to the base of the staircase, his creep was interrupted by a long, breathy moan coming from the living room.  
He stopped. Dread filled his stomach, and his heart began racing. It sounded as though someone was hurt. 

Harry twisted. With hurried steps, he walked towards the living room. The back of the couch faced him, and the television was too dim for him to see around the room. Feeling along the walls, Harry flicked the light switch on. 

Yellow light engulfed the room. Somebody let out a yelp which was followed by a gasp. Harry watched as limbs began flailing from behind the couch. A stray shirt was plucked from the floor and thrown through the air. A whispered ‘Fuck!’ was heard. Sirius’s head whipped up from the couch, causing Harry to jump. The mans ruffled hair stood atop his hair in a teased mess, and his cheeks were flushed red. 

“Harry!” Sirius cried. “Your home!”

Another head shot up next to him, honey brown hair sticking out at various angles. Harry’s eyes widened. Words escaped him. He stood stock still, his mouth agape. 

“We wanted to wait up for you.”

Slow nods seemed to be the only reaction Harry could force from his body. The other man turned around, frantically buttoning his white shirt. Harry saw the bright red face of Remus Lupin staring back at him. Everybody seemed to hold their breath. 

“Hi Professor,” Harry’s voice was quiet, the words a mere squeak. 

“Harry,” Remus said, his voice hoarse. He coughed. “I’m sorry. We didn’t hear you come in.”

“Its fine,” Harry said too quickly.

The three stared at each other, embarrassment clear on the faces of everyone. Remus cleared his throat, breaking the awkward moment. 

“I’m going to…” Harry gestured towards the stairs.

“No, no! You stay Harry. I should be going,” his teacher reached to retrieve his rumpled sweater from the ground. 

“It’s fine!” Harry spoke. “I can go. To my room! And I can just forget this happened.” 

Harry gestured between them, backing towards the staircase. 

“No, really. I need to head home,” Remus looked to Sirius. “Good luck tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.” 

“Moony, you don’t have to go.”

“Pads, I think you need to deal with this one on your own,” he muttered, before standing. The buttons on his shirt were askew. 

Harry stood by the edge of the staircase, waiting for his chance to escape. Sirius looked to him, panic in his eyes, before looking back to Remus. 

“But-” Sirius started, before being silenced by a sharp look from Remus. He sighed. “Fine. You’re right. I’ll walk you to the door.”

Sirius stood from the couch, and Harry was relieved to see he still wore his plain black shirt and jeans. However, he did notice red and purple marks scattered across his godfathers’ neck. Gross, he thought. 

“Goodnight Harry. I am sorry about-” Lupin gestured around them. “Good luck tomorrow.”

Remus shuffled towards the door, Sirius closely following him. While the two bid goodnight, careful of the boy near them, Harry took his chance to slip up the stairs to his room. He tried to listen carefully but was unable to decipher the whispers shared between the two men as they bid goodnight. 

Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed when heard Sirius walk up the stairs, the footsteps approaching his bedroom door. 

“Hey bud.”

Sirius leaned against the doorframe, his eyes searching the room, avoiding Harry.

“Hi,” Harry responded. 

“I didn’t-”

“I’m sorry-”

They both tried to speak, stopping for the other. 

Sirius huffed a small laugh, before moving from the doorway to join Harry on his bed. Harry shuffled so he was leaning against his bed post, pulling his knees up to his chest. Sirius stayed sitting on the edge, his feet planted on the wooden floor. 

“I’m sorry you found out about Remus and I like that. I’d planned to tell you, but everything happened so quickly. It’s no excuse, but I really hadn’t meant for you to find out like that.”

Sirius closed his eyes and began rubbing them with the palms of his hand. 

“Chill Sirius,” Harry muttered. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. I’m meant to be the adult Harry. Not some horny teenager.”

Harry shrugged. He picked at his duvet, avoiding eye contact with his godfather. 

Sirius sighed. 

“Please say something Harry.”

Harry ran his nails along his arms, feeling the sharp sting cross his skin. 

“I guess, I just didn’t know you were like that,” the words were whispered. 

The words felt like a punch in the gut, and Sirius felt his chest clench. Harry still refused to look at him. 

“That I was like what, Harry?”

Harry simply shrugged again. His godfather sighed. 

“Does it bother you that I like other men?”

“No!” Harry exclaimed, his head shooting up to look at Sirius. “I don’t… I don’t think so.”

“Then what’s wrong?” 

Soft breaths were the only noise breaking the silence of the room. Sirius’s eyes searched Harry’s form, his hunched shoulders, creased eyebrows, crossed arms. The sight of his godson’s discomfort made him want to cry. 

“My Uncle used to say things about it. That’s all.”

“Ah.”

Sirius turned his eyes to the ceiling, tracking the cracked lines on the roof. 

“I can’t imagine he said anything very flattering.”

Harry shook his head. 

“He probably told you some awful things about people like me.”

Harry nodded. His eyes prickled, and lips pouted. 

“Do you believe anything he said?”

Harry looked up as he thought. 

“No?”

“You don’t sound very sure.”

Harry closed his eyes. 

“I don’t know.”

Sirius hands were shaking, and the room suddenly felt colder. He dreaded the question he knew he had to ask. 

“Does this make you not want to live with me, Harry?”

“No!” The answer was practically screamed. “I still want to live with you! Please!”

“Ok, Ok,” Sirius held up his hands in a peaceful stance, attempting to calm his panicked godson. “I had to check. I want to know if this is going to be a problem. It was stupid of me not to think this would become an issue sooner.”

“Its not an issue,” Harry groaned, running his hands through his already unruly hair. 

“Then tell me what’s bothering you, bud. You don’t look comfortable with this, and it’s worrying me.”

Harry clenched his heads and took a deep breath before looking Sirius in the eye.

“Uncle Vernon used to say horrible things all the time, and mostly I didn’t care, but he always used to say bad things about people like you, and how they deserved bad things, and I just used to hate it so much, but I couldn’t say anything because then he might think that I was like that and I was sure he would kill me!” Harry panted. “And I didn’t know you were like that, but now I do, and all I can think about is what he used to say he would do if he ever saw someone like you and I don’t want anyone to hurt you Sirius! I just found you.”

Harry was out of breath by the time be finished, his emotions seeping out of him, leaving him a tired mess. He leant back against his bedrest, too exhausted to hold himself up.

Sirius simply nodded as he pondered Harry’s words. 

“The word is gay, Harry,” Sirius finally said. “At least for me it is.”

Harry lent his chin on his knees that were still curled tight to his chest.

“That’s not the word Uncle Vernon used.”

“No, I’m sure it wasn’t,” Sirius scoffed. “But, Harry, I need you to know not everyone is like your Uncle. And nothing is going to happen to me. I have been like this my whole life, so I would know. You don’t need to worry about me. That’s not your job. It’s my job to worry about you.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know, buddy.”

Sirius reached towards Harry, bumping his fist against his godsons’ leg. 

Minutes seemed to pass. Sirius watched as Harry gradually began to relax. Finally, Harry smiled, a small, timid smile. He uncurled his tight body, spreading his legs out. He chewed his lips as he thought over his next words.

“So… you and Professor Lupin?” Harry sounded sceptical. It wasn’t something he ever thought he would ask.

Sirius barked his trademark laugh, throwing his head back. 

“Yeah,” he scratched the back of his head. “Me and Remus.”

“No wonder you were acting so awkward this morning,” the words were still timid, but they held a hint of amusement. 

“Hey! I am suave, Harry! The master of flirting! There is no way I was awkward.”

Harry breathed a laugh, shaking his head. The mood in the room no longer felt suffocating. The light above them flickered, its yellow haze illuminating the bare room, making shadows dance around the small family. After a few moments, Sirius’s smile dropped, and he looked to Harry with a soft, sobered look. 

“We better get to bed, Harry. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

And just like that, all the worry Draco and Sirius and Remus had prevented Harry from feeling, returned. A tight, iron grip grasped Harry’s stomach, making him feel ill. All he could do was nod, bidding Sirius goodnight as the man left the room, unable to evade the anxiety coursing through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me! I wrote this instead of my Sociology final. It's my final week of Uni is and shit is getting hectic lol.  
> This is for all the Wolfstar fans!  
> Sorry if it reads terribly, I currently have one brain cell.


	16. To The Courts!

Nightmares plagued Harry the whole night. He dreamt of returning to the rancid, decaying house of Number 4 private drive, his Uncle and Aunts zombie figures attacking him as he entered the door, the walls turning to a black empty void, closing in to suffocate him. 

Harry finally gave up on sleep during the early hours of the morning, his eyes scratchy, his body aching like he hadn’t rested at all. He made his way to the kitchen where Sirius was already sitting at the table. The sky outside was still dark, the faint glow of sunlight peaking just behind the horizon. The kitchen light illuminated the room. Under its glow, Sirius looked gaunt, his cheeks hollow, deep bags forming under his eyes. Snuffles laid by his side, his tail thumping once against the hard floor when he saw Harry enter the room. 

Sirius didn’t say anything when Harry entered. He sat across from his godfather at the table, the scrapping of his wooden chair along the floor the only noise filling the room. They sat there until the sun came up, and the clocks chimed for the fifth time. 

“We better get ready, Harry,” Sirius muttered.

Harry nodded. Neither moved. It was another thirty minutes, two chimes, before they moved. Again, at Sirius’s instruction.

“Come on. We can do this Prongslet. You need to get dressed now.”

As he walked up the stairs, Harry thought, if he were to let himself, he would start crying deep ugly tears. But he had never let himself cry because of the Dursleys. Not when he was six and he had spent two days straight in his cupboard. Not when he was eleven, and they had tried to keep him from attending Hogwarts. Harry wouldn’t let himself start crying now because of them. 

He had nearly finished getting dressed when Sirius knocked on his door. His godfather was dressed in a well-fitted black suit, his hair gelled back into a perfect slick style. As expensive and good as he looked, Harry could help but feel it was wrong to see his godfather in something that wasn’t jeans and shirts. 

“Are you nearly ready?”

Harry nodded. He wrestled with his red and gold tie, his shaky hands refusing to cooperate. 

“Can I help?” Sirius asked. 

Harry began shaking his head. His hands slipped, and the messy tie came undone. With a frustrated groan, Harry threw his head back in defeat.

“Yes please,” Harry muttered, staring at the ceiling. 

Sirius walked over and stood in front of Harry. With gently hands, Sirius began tying Harry’s tie. Once he had achieved the perfect knot, he brushed his hands along Harry’s shoulder, letting them rest there as he looked as his godson with sombre eyes. 

“We’ve got this, Harry,” Sirius repeated his mantra, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than Harry. 

Harry tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. 

A knock banged against their front door. Sirius jumped, his hands tightening their grip on Harry’s shoulders. 

Sirius closed his eyes.

“That’s probably the car Lucius sent.”

With a final pat down, Sirius let of Harry, and together they made their way down the stairs and out the front door, bidding goodbye to a sulking Snuffles. 

The drive to the court room was awkward and stifling. The music played on the radio was irritating. The driver was stoic and uninterested. Any other time Harry would be happy the trip to their destination had ended. But not this time. 

The day had turned grey, the clouds overhead blocking the sunlight from reaching the earth. Their driver finally pulled to a stop. Harry peaked out the tinted windows to see a large white building, and a white concrete staircase leading to the wide doors. It was only when Sirius nudged his shoulder, that Harry realised he had stopped breathing. 

“Lucius thinks we can resolve this quickly Harry, but that may not happen. This may not be the only day we have to appear before court.”

“What!” Any breath Harry managed to breathe left him. 

“I knew this might be the case. I’m telling you now, so you know what to expect. I’ve got you though, Harry. No matter what, ok?”

“Ok,” Harry breathed. 

Shit, Harry thought. This wasn’t ok. He hadn’t expected this to go on any longer than a day. Now it was an indefinite hearing? He wanted to drive back home and crawl under the covers of his bed, taking Snuffles with him for company. 

They sat for a few moments, soaking in each other’s company, before finally climbing out of the car. The humid summer air hit Harry straight away. He could feel beads of sweat form on his forehead. 

Together, Sirius and Harry walked shoulder to shoulder up the large stairs, each step causing the anxiety to build in Harry. His stomach was twisted in knots, and he felt lightheaded. Entering the building eased the heat beating down on Harry, but it did nothing to quell the nausea building in his stomach. He was just about ready to fight his way to the closest bathroom and throw up when Harry caught sight of familiar blonde hair. 

Draco Malfoy was sitting on a bench pressed against the hallway wall, his posture perfect, wearing a disinterested expression and pretending not to listen to his father who was conversing with what looked like another lawyer. Harry didn’t understand why, but the moment he saw Draco, his anxiety eased, and he felt the strangest urge to run and hug the other boy. Harry frowned his bizarre desire, unsure of where it had come from. 

Sirius led them over to the two Malfoys. Draco immediately dropped his disinterested gaze when he spotted Harry. He shot to his feet, widened eyes looking over Harry, who was still mulling over this strange urge he had felt. 

“Alright, Potter?” Draco said it in a way that made it seem like he didn’t care, but Harry could tell otherwise, from the way the blondes eyes looked him up and down. 

“I’m fine.” His response was too quick. 

Draco’s narrowed eyes looked him over again, assessing his every move. Harry turned to Mr. Malfoy to avoid the other boys gaze.

“Do I need to know anything about today, Mr. Malfoy?” Harry asked.

The man hummed in response, surveying the hall in which they stood, like a snake ready to strike its prey. 

“No, Mr. Potter. Just remember everything we’ve discussed, and things shall run accordingly.”

With that, he began speaking with Sirius, ignoring Harry’s existence. 

What had they discussed? Harry racked his brains to remember everything Mr. Malfoy had told him. His breathe was becoming shallow again. Every noise in the room sounded like his uncles pounding footsteps racing towards him. Figures stalking past him reminded him of his Aunts silent presence eager to punish him. 

His panic was noticed by Draco, who elbowed Harry in the side, causing him to wince in pain.

“Keep your mouth shut and let father do the talking. No emotional outburst. No disagreeing with father in front of the judge. You go along with everything he says, even if you don’t agree. He is going to win this, Harry. You have to trust us,” Draco’s voice whispered into Harry’s ears, making the hair on his neck stand up. 

The words were reassuring. Harry subconsciously angled his body towards Draco, brushing their shoulders together. The sweet, homely smell of the blonde hit Harry, and he found himself taking deep, slow breathes, savouring the alluring scent. If Draco noticed Harry’s odd behaviour, he didn’t mention it. Rather, he happily let the oblivious boy brush against him without any comment, trying to hide the sly smirk fighting its way onto his face. 

“This is simply RIDICULOUS!”

The booming words echoed through the hallway, making many people pause. None reacted more violently than Harry though. He immediately recognised the voice. Blood drained from his face and his body went rigid, like a corpse entering rigor mortis. 

At the end of the long court hallway, stood the Dursleys. Aunt Petunia, still skinny, pale, long-nosed, wore a frumpy brown dress that probably costs a fortune but looked like a potato sack. Her lips were pursed, like she had just stepped in dog shit on the way to court. Her pinched eyes were cold. 

Uncle Vernon walked beside her. The suit he wore was a size too small, its sleeves hugging his arms too tightly. The shirts buttons gripped together through sheer will. Sweat marks stained through to his blazer beneath his armpits. The walrus moustache was dripping with sweat. Harry could practically feel the floor shaking with every step the overweight man took. 

“Hey,” Harry jumped when he felt Sirius rest his hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got you Harry.”

His godfathers’ eyes were ablaze, and while looking at Harry, he kept the Dursleys within his range of sight. Sirius’s jaw was set. His back straight. He looked like the murderer he had once been convicted as. It was in that moment, that Harry saw the dangerous man Sirius had once been in prison. This was the man he had heard hushed stories about, shared between shocked social workers who couldn’t believe Sirius was the same man they had been warned about. This was the man who survived twelve years in Azkaban, by himself, despite his innocence. Anyone would have been frightened by the murderous glint in the man’s eyes. However, rather than feeling scared by this side of his godfather, Harry felt safe. Protected. It was in that moment, Harry realised Sirius would never let him go back to the Dursleys. Not without a fight. 

“I’m ok,” and Harry didn’t think that was a lie this time. He truly felt ok. 

“You’re pale as fuck, Potter,” Draco was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He kept his voice low to keep his Father from hearing him swear. Lucius Malfoy was much to busy to take note of his sons’ behaviour anyway. 

The whispered words grounded Harry though. And that was when Harry noticed he was clutching the other boy’s hand. His hand was holding Malfoys. Malfoys hand was holding his. Harry was holding hands with Draco fucking Malfoy. And he wasn’t letting go. 

“Never mind. You’re not pale anymore.”

Harry was bright fucking red, is what he was. 

How was this his life? 

Why was Draco letting him hold his hand?

Why wasn’t Harry letting go?

Fuck. 

While he worked his way through his current dilemma, Harry failed to notice the Dursleys approaching. His Aunt and Uncle walked right past him, failing to acknowledge his presence, as they turned to enter the court room. 

“Time to go, Black,” Mr Malfoy spoke with a voice that left no room for argument. 

Draco stopped smirking at his Father’s words, and discretely dropped Harry’s hand, like he had been caught reaching into the cookie jar. Or whatever the rich person equivalent was. Draco’s mask of indifference returned, and he seamlessly turned into the Draco Malfoy Harry used to call his nemesis. Thankfully, Lucius Malfoy showed no indication he had seen the two boys as they were. Harry could understand why Draco didn’t want his father to see him holding hands with another boy. Shame burned in his own chest at the thought of other people seeing them like that. But it still hurt Harry for some reason. It wasn’t like he was about to call Malfoy out on his weird behaviour though. Harry had been the instigator of the hand holding after all. And their shoulders still brushed against each other’s, which, while a lot less comforting, was much less intimate than hand holding. 

Then, Harry remembered he was facing a guardianship trial which would soon decide his future, and he felt stupid for worrying about something as dumb as holding hands with Malfoy. There were much more pressing matters demanding his anxiety and stress. 

Still, walking into the courtroom led by Mr. Malfoy, Sirius’s hand on his shoulder, Draco by his side, Harry couldn’t help but notice how cold his hand was now, and that worried him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I have no excuse for taking so long. Thanks for bearing with me!


	17. Mr. Black v The Dursleys

“We are here today for a Guardianship hearing. Is that correct?”

Harry looked over to Sirius, who nodded. Harry nodded as well. 

“Yes, your Honour,” Mr. Malfoy spoke with an air of authority.

The Dursleys nodded on the other side of the room. Harry sat facing The Judge, wedged between Sirius and Mr. Malfoy. The Dursleys sat at the desk on the right of them, without a lawyer, looking as though their time was being wasted. Vernon kept checking his watch, while his Petunia leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. Harry thought they appeared rather confident, considering. The thought made his heart rate accelerate. 

“And we have two parties vying for Guardianship over one Harry Potter. Is that you, son?” The judge smiled at Harry. 

“Yes sir,” his tongue felt like sand paper in his mouth.

All things considering, the Judge seemed quite nice. His black hair was peppered with grey, and his glasses were like the pair Harry owned, round with gold rims. The robe he wore looked bizarre to Harry, but he supposed that came with the job. Overall, he didn’t seem like a bad person. Which was lucky, considering he held the fate of Harry’s future in his hands. 

“Is Mr. Black present today?” Sirius put his hand up. “And Mrs. And Mr. Dursley?”

Aunt Petunia tsked. 

“Yes, we are all bloody here,” Vernon grumbled in a deep, grumbling voice. 

“Wonderful,” The Judge threw Vernon a displeased look. 

Draco sat directly behind Harry. He was being painfully quiet, and the only reason Harry knew he was there was because he had watched the other boy sit down. Draco was the only one in the room apart from those appearing before The Judge and the security guards standing beside the doors. 

“Now, I received statements from all parties involved, including you Mr. Potter.”

Harry’s stomach lurched. 

“You have made it quite clear throughout the statement your desire is for guardianship to be granted to Mr. Black. Is that still the case?” 

Harry looked to Mr. Malfoy, who discretely nodded at him. 

“Yes please, your Honour,” Harry wrung his hands in his lap, clenching them until they turned pale. 

The judge smiled encouragingly at Harry. 

“And Mr. Potter is it true you have been living with your godfather, Mr. Black, for the past four months?”

Harry swallowed, but his mouth was so dry it hurt. 

“Yes, your Honour.”

The Judge hummed. He began ruffling through papers scattered on his podium.

“Mr. Black,” The Judge moved his gaze to Sirius. “Was there an agreement made between yourself and the Dursleys regarding this change in Mr. Potter’s living arrangements?

“No, your Honour.”

Mr. Malfoy stood, buttoning his blazer button.

“Your Honour, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley have not protested Mr. Potter residing with Mr. Black, either formally or informally, nor have they made any attempts to contact my client regarding the wellbeing of Mr. Potter since his absence from their care. Mr. Black has made as such clear throughout his statement.” 

“Yes, thank you, Mr. Malfoy,” The Judge nodded, and Mr. Malfoy returned to his seat beside Harry, unbuttoning his blazer. “Is this true, Mrs. Dursley?”

Petunia scoffed and shrugged. 

“I need a verbal response, Mrs. Dursley.”

“Fine. It’s true,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s not as though the boy left an address-”

“Thank you, Mrs. Dursley. I only needed to know yes or no.”

The Judge took a deep breath. He shuffled through the papers scattered along his desk. The courtroom was silent apart from the rustling of paper and the heavy breaths of Vernon Dursley. 

“The circumstances that led to Mr. Potter leaving the care of the Dursleys was detailed in Mr. Black statement, along with a varying assortment of claims and supporting evidence,” a troubled look came over The Judge. “Mr. Dursley, is it true you assaulted the child in question the night he left your care?”

At the word assaulted, Harry jerked. 

“What! Preposterous,” Vernon spluttered. His face was turning the alarming shade of purple. “The boy is lying!”

The Judge didn’t respond right away. Instead, he sorted through more papers. 

“Mr. Dursley, have you ever physically or verbally assaulted Mr. Potter while he was in your care?”

“Never!” Vernon shouted. 

The Judge remained silent while he searched through more papers. Harry thought, if the next question was directed to him, he might start crying. 

“Mr. Malfoy has compiled a number of witness statements for the hearing today,” The Judge held up a sheet of paper, which he peered at with narrowed eyes. “One in particular, written by a Mrs. Arabella Figg, states the night Mr. Potter left your care, she heard a number of disturbing noises, including you, one Mr. Dursley, calling your nephew several slurs that I won’t repeat here today.”

Harry was silently thankful for that. He was surprised Mr. Malfoy had managed to get in touch with his old babysitter. He had no idea she had paid that much attention to him, or that anyone on Private Drive cared enough to go against the Dursleys for Harry. 

“Mrs. Figg has also written that she witnessed you throw Mr. Potter from the house that night. There are also details relating to countless other moments where she has seen you physically and verbally assault your nephew,” The judge stared down at the Dursleys. “Is there anything you have to say about that?”

Petunia was sitting up straight now. Vernon looked like he was in the middle of a heart attack. His face was a mess of red and purple blotches. He sneered at The Judge. 

“The boys a freak! He deserved his punishment,” Vernon shouted. “All I tried to do was make him normal!”

Sirius jerked. He moved to bolt out of his chair but was stopped short when Harry grabbed his arm. He wore the same murderous expression from before. Harry looked to Mr. Malfoy for help but was surprised to find the other man looked just as disturbed by his Uncles comment. Mr. Malfoys eyes were narrowed and his lips thinly pressed. He looked ready for blood.

The Judge banged his gavel.

“Mr. Dursley, I won’t have you speak of a child like that in my courtroom. That behaviour is unacceptable. Another outburst like that, and I will have you charged with Contempt of Court.”

Vernon looked ready to start screaming again but was held back by Petunia who gripped his arm, digging her sharp nails into his fat. 

“Mr. Black,” Sirius dropped the murderous glint in his eyes. “Recently, you served twelve years for a murder you were wrongfully committed of. Considering this, do you still believe you are fit to act as guardian of Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, your honour.”

Mr. Malfoy stood again. 

“I have provided the relevant documents providing information regarding Mr. Black’s mental health assessment. He has been cleared by no less than two therapists,” Mr. Malfoy glanced back at Sirius. “I will argue, he should no longer be punished for a crime he has been acquitted of, Your Honour.”

“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy,” he sighed. “I don’t think I need to know anything more.”

Harry clenched his hand around Sirius’s arms so tight, he was sure it hurt. But Sirius didn’t protest. His godfather leaned forward in anticipation. The Judge dropped the papers he was holding and surveyed those before him. 

"Given the statements and evidence I have received from a number of parties, I am inclined to grant Mr. Black legal guardianship over Mr. Potter.” 

The room fell silent. Harry couldn’t move. His eyes were wide, staring at The Judge, waiting for him to say ‘sike!’. His grip on Sirius’s arm had only tightened, but instead of pushing him away, his godfather laid his hand over Harry’s. The pair stared with wide eyes, waiting for man to continue. 

“This is FUCKING ridiculous!” Vernon threw himself from his hair, pushing the table as he stood. “I took care of that freak for FOURTEEN years. I deserve COMPENSATION!”

“ORDER! Order in my court!”

“Vernon!” Petunia screeched. 

Vernon locked his eyes on Harry. His breathes came in short, sharp pants, rumbling the folds of neck fat spilling over his tight collared shirt. Vernon shifted his feet on the carpet floor, and Harry knew his Uncle was getting ready to charge. Sirius seemed to realise this too, and jumped to his feet, throwing his arm around Harry, trying to push the boy behind him. Harry stood, and was about to bolt, spotting a window not too far from his reach, when out of nowhere, the security guards pounced on Vernon. They wrestled with the overweight man until each had a hold of his arms. Sandwiched between the two muscular men, Vernon could do no more than scream abuse at those in the courtroom. 

“ENOUGH!” The Judge smacked his gavel repeatedly and began speaking over Vernon. 

“Vernon Dursley, you are hereby charged with Contempt of Court on the third of July in the Family court in proceedings before me between Mr. Black v the Dursleys over the guardianship of one Harry Potter. For verbally assaulting Mr. Potter and attempted assault, you did thereby conduct yourself in a manner that had a real tendency to interfere with the administration of justice,” The Judge looked to the security guards. “Escort Mr. Dursley from my courtroom immediately.”

The security guards wrestled Vernon out of the room kicking and screaming. Harry was surprised they were able to carry the man considering his weight. From the corner of his eyes, Harry could see Draco was now also standing, sneering at his Uncle’s behaviour. Heat rose to Harry’s cheeks. Harry was used to this behaviour from Vernon Dursley, but he had always dreaded the day Draco Malfoy saw the way his Uncle acted, ever since First Year when the blonde boy was insulting Harry about his upbringing. The embarrassment welled in his chest, until he averted his eyes from Draco to look at the carpeted floor. 

“Everybody! Return to your seats please,” The Judge held up his hands, demanding order. “You too, Mrs. Dursley. This hearing is not yet finished.”

Petunia had grabbed her hand bag and was ready to leave with her husband. She paused at The Judge’s word, slowing sinking back into her seat, keeping her eyes on the doors. At Sirius instruction, Harry too took his seat, resting on the edge of the chair as he waited for The Judge to continue speaking.

“I, Judge Odgen, hereby rule that full guardianship of one Harry Potter be granted to Sirius Black, on July third. I also rule that the Dursleys hold no legal rights to the child and thereby no right to visitation,” he smacked the gavel on the desk. “Court adjourned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably reads like a bad soap opera and I don't even care.  
> Let me know what you think!!


	18. Guardianship vs Custody

“I have to go talk with Lucius to sort out some stuff,” Sirius hand rested on Harry’s shoulder. “Stay here with Draco and stay near a security guard, ok?”

“I’ll be fine Sirius.”

They were gathered in the hallway outside the court room. People paced past them with hurried steps, dressed in suits and fashionable dresses. Harry stood beside Draco, facing his godfather, who was trying his best to make eye contact with the security guard standing down the hallway. 

Harry felt numb. They day was moving fast, and he was struggling to keep up with everything that had happened. He couldn’t remember much of anything after the judge spoke, just that Sirius had hugged him tighter than he had ever been held before. 

“Father’s waiting, Black.”

Sirius sighed, and gave Harry’s shoulder one last squeeze before heading off. 

Walking down the hallway, Sirius couldn’t deny the unrelenting relief clawing its way through his chest, but there was worry building in him too. He hadn’t let himself think about a life with Harry without any threat of the Dursleys. Now, he was responsible for Lily and James’s son. Fuck, he thought. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he would never be enough. He could never care for Harry as well as he knew Lily and James would have. 

Sirius dug his nails into the palm of his hand and walked faster. 

He made his way to the office Lucius had stalked off to, his chest tightening with each step. Sirius found the correct door, made of red-wood, and entered without knocking. The room was tight, packed with shelves filled with paper, and folders, and books. Files stacked on top of more files filled most the space. Sirius was sure this wasn’t an office of Malfoy’s and wondered which poor sack had been blackmailed into letting them use it.

“Black.” 

Sirius whipped his head to Lucius, who was standing behind a desk, blazer shed, looking refined in his white shirt and buttoned silver vest. His hair practically glimmered. The fact this man used to ridicule Sirius for his relationship with men whilst wearing a ribbon in his hair was truly baffling. Lucius held a file of papers, which he studied intently, not bothering to glance at Sirius. 

“Apparently I have papers I need to sign.”

“Yes,” He turned a page over. “But those can wait. There’s more pressing things to discuss.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. 

“What now, you ponce?”

Lucius cleared his throat.

“While it is true you are now the legal guardian of Mr. Potter, that does not mean Mr. Potter is completely free of the Dursleys. If we aren’t careful, he may end up back in their care.”

The floor dropped out from under Sirius. He stumbled into a particularly large stack of papers, causing them to topple over, sending papers flying everywhere. 

Lucius tutted, glancing at the papers now scattered along the floor. 

Sirius was going to murder him. That fucking git. 

“As graceful as ever, Black.”

“What the fuck do you mean, Malfoy!”

“This was always going to be the case, Black. This was a guardianship hearing. Meaning, the Dursleys could demand another hearing challenging you for guardianship. We have already discussed this.”

Sirius threw his hands up.

“I never remember you saying that!”

“Regardless, it is a possibility,” Lucius rubbed at his temple with long, slender fingers. “Honestly, I don’t understand why we couldn’t have just offered a settlement for the child? It is not as though you don’t have the money, considering the fee you are paying for my services.”

“No! I refuse to let those fuckers get a cent after the shit they put Harry through! Also, could you imagine if Harry found out? That I practically bought him, like a goddamn animal!” Sirius shook his head and spoke through gritted teeth. “It was never an option.”

Finally, Lucius looked at Sirius, his eyes bored, lips pressed thin, eyebrows raised.

“Are you quite done?”

Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Very well. As I was saying, we have matters to discuss, that being, an application for legal custody of Mr. Potter.”

“I just got that!”

“No, you dunce. You got guardianship. This is different. And if you want to make it impossible for the Dursleys to regain their guardianship over Mr. Potter, you have limited options. The most suitable being adoption, though there are other avenues we could explore.”

Sirius froze. 

“Adoption?”

“Yes, Black. I’m sure even you know what that means.”

“You think I should adopt Harry?”

Lucius gave him an unamused look. The room suddenly felt warmer, and Sirius tugged at his shirt sleeves and collar. 

“I couldn’t!”

“Why not, Black?”

“James is Harry’s father! I can’t just take that away from him. And adoption… it’s just… I can’t!”

Lucius sighed. 

“Well, do you think Potter would prefer you adopt his son, or that Harry ends up back in the care of his abusive relative? Honestly, I thought even you could work it out.”

Sirius shook his head. 

“It’s not that simple, Malfoy.”

“That isn’t the only option available to us, but there are many things you need to be considering. My recommendation, it that you decide your next move quickly before the Dursleys wise up and get a lawyer.”

With that, Lucius shut the pale folder in his hands, paced over to Sirius, and handed him the papers. Then, he opened the door and began to stalk out. Sirius scrubbed his face. The idea of adoption hung like a stone in his chest. He didn’t think he could ever forgive himself for replacing James in Harry’s life in such a permanent way. He wasn’t sure James would either. 

Sirius took a deep breathe.

“Another thing, Black,” Lucius paused in the doorway, gesturing for Sirius to exit the room. “Narcissa has decided she would like to have you over for dinner, so she can properly meet Mr. Potter. We were thinking Friday night, if that suits you both.”

It didn’t come off as a question, more like a summoning. Sirius opened and closed his mouth before responding. Lucius was already walking away, down the hallway to where the kids were waiting. 

“I would love to come over, but I had plans for this Friday.”

And he did. With Remus. They had decided last night.

The answer he received from Malfoy; a raised eyebrow. 

“I told Remus I would have dinner with him,” Sirius found himself replying. Not that he owed the other man an explanation. Truly, it had just slipped out.

“Ah, yes. Your old…friend.” 

Sirius rolled his eyes at Lucius choice of words. It had never been a secret Malfoy looked down on Sirius for his attraction to men. When they were kids, nobody ever talked about it. Narcissa refused to openly acknowledge any of the various sign’s her cousin was gay, though Sirius’s attraction to other men was always there when they were young. Lingering eyes struck on other boys. Posters of shirtless men kept in his room. The first ‘girlfriend’ that remained nameless. Still, it had taken a blatant screaming match with his mother, and Sirius yelling the words “I’M FUCKING GAY” at a family dinner before anyone openly acknowledge it. 

That had been the night he left home. At least the Potter’s didn’t mind who he was.

Sirius was gearing himself up, ready to tell Malfoy he could shove it, when the man said something truly shocking.

“I suppose Lupin could come too.”

Sirius tripped. 

“You’re inviting Remus and I for dinner?”

Lucius tutted, his patience was wavering thin.

“And Mr. Potter, Black. Are you even listening?”

Sirius didn’t know how to respond to that. On one hand, he knew dinner with the Malfoys was bound to end up a disaster, but on the other hand, something buried deep within him still craved the acceptance of his family, and that was something he never believed he would get. 

Sirius stopped walking, staring at the back of Lucius head. He blonde realised he had stopped and paused, shooting an exasperated look at the other man. 

“What the game here, Malfoy?” He crossed his arms. “After the shit you put us through in High School, there’s no way you’ve actually became tolerant of my relationship with Remus.”

Silence hung between them. Then, Lucius sighed, before turning to face Sirius. His eyes looked bored, like he was about to explain to a child why it was unbecoming to throw a tantrum in public.

“Do you not believe one can have a change in attitude, Black?”

“Not when that someone’s Satan’s incarnate.”

Lucius gave him the Malfoy Look, that Sirius was sure sent other running. But Sirius had been impervious to his mothers Look by the time he was nine, and Malfoy’s was child play in comparison. After a few moments, Lucius caved, rolling his eyes.

“You’ve come to know my son over these past weeks,” Malfoy’s voice had undeniably lowered. His eyes surveyed the room in a calculating way. No one was around them. “So, if you must know, Draco played a large part in my ... what did you call it … increased tolerance.”

Sirius mulled over Lucius’s words, thinking about the interactions he had with Draco. Then he realised what the other man was implying. He barked out a laugh.

“Oh, yeah. I saw that. Surprised you did though.”

Lucius tutted. 

“Has the kid told you?”

“No.” 

The answer was sharp. It practically screamed ‘Drop it!’. 

“But your pretty sure, right? I mean, I can see why. The attitude itself is pretty obvious.”

Malfoy practically growled, refusing to respond to Sirius’s question. He checked his watch, then turned away. 

“Will you be coming this Friday, or shall I tell Narcissa to schedule another night?”

“I mean, I guess we can come,” Sirius frowned. “I’ll have to ask Remus.”

“Very well. We will serve dinner at 6 PM,” Lucius said as though he hadn’t heard Sirius.

Then, he began striding down the hallway once again, leaving Sirius, once again, emotionally drained from such a wild conversation. 

 

Harry and Draco sat shoulder to shoulder on a bench in the corridor. Neither talked. Harry stared vacantly at a spot on the wall, while Draco surveyed the people walking past them with sharp eyes and an upturned nose. Harry could feel himself nodding off as they waited. The events of the day had left him truly exhausted. 

He was just beginning to close his eyes, head lolling towards the other boy’s shoulder, when he felt Draco stiffen next to him. Harry’s eyes snapped open.

The sharp clicks of heals hitting the tiled floor grew louder. Draco jumped to his feet, and Harry quickly followed. Towards them marched none other than Petunia Dursley. Her face was sour, her back straight, arms swinging quickly at her sides. Draco looked ready to start screaming for a security guard but stopped short when Harry shook his head. Petunia stopped her march mere metres in front of them. 

Harry squared his shoulders, and jutted his chin, ready for whatever his Aunt was about to say. He stared at the woman who had spent so many years tormenting and demeaning Harry every chance she got. Now, he knew he would never have to endure anymore of her comments after today. The thought was relieving. Euphoric even. He knew he could take one last comment she was about to throw his way.

Yet, rather than her usual sneer, Petunia Dursley looked at Harry with an expression that almost resembled grief. The expression was so jarring on her, Harry had to pause, quirking his head to the side. 

She took a deep breath, before walking the last steps to Harry. Draco was still on high alert but was kept at bay by Harry’s sharp tap to his forearm. 

Without a word of explanation, Petunia reached into her bag, and pulled at a small, thin bundle of letters, held together by a single rubber band. 

“I kept these for you,” she handed the letters to Harry. “I hid them from Vernon, for once.”

And Harry thought, there was almost an apology in those words. Memories of summer’s spent watching his Uncle burn letters from his friends flashed before him. All Harry could think, was how he had never imagined his Aunt would put a stop to that. A small nod was all Harry could give in response, his throat restricted for reasons he couldn’t understand. Petunia also nodded to Harry. They stared at each other for a few awkward moments, too many things unsaid between them, neither brave enough to try and talk. Petunia gave a final nod, before strutting away. The last thing Harry heard, was her thanking the female security officer who held the exit door open for Petunia. 

“What the hell was that?” Harry spoke just above a whisper.

“I don’t know Potter. I was about to ask you that.”

Harry held up the letters inspecting them. Four in total. Three looked to be sealed, but there was one that had been open. He scanned the writing on the first letter, and saw his name written in what he knew was Ron’s handwriting. 

He could feel Draco peak over his shoulder. Draco scoffed at the sight of the writing, causing Harry to frown. Looking at the other boy, he noticed the flushed cheeks and scowl adorning his face. 

“Fucking typical.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry about it, Potter.”

Harry frowned, stunned. Draco hadn’t said his name like that since the start of the summer. Before he could ask what the other boy’s problem was, Sirius and Mr. Malfoy rounded the corner. They walked to the boys with long strides.

“What have you got there, Harry?” Sirius asked, glancing at the letters in Harry’s hands. 

“Letters. From my friends, I think. Aunt Petunia gave them to me, just then. I’m surprised she even kept them.”

Sirius looked panicked.

“Don’t worry! She didn’t say anything. And Uncle Vernon wasn’t with her.”

Sirius still didn’t look comforted but nodded sharply.

“Let’s get out of here, hey?”

Everyone quickly agreed. Harry shoved the letters into the pocket of his dress pants. 

Lucius’s driver waited for them outside the court house, leaning on the slick black car Harry and Sirius had arrived in. They all piled into the car, Lucius taking the front seat, Harry wedged between Sirius and Draco. Light conversation was made, which Harry wouldn’t have minded, except for the fact that Draco never once spoke to him. In fact, the other boy didn’t even look at Harry. He simply stared out the window with a stoic expression, hands clasped tightly in his lap. 

When Harry and Sirius exited the car, each bid goodbye to the two Malfoy’s. Harry desperately tried to make eye contact with Draco, but his sight was stuck on whatever was outside the window. It was when Harry got to the front door, he realised Draco didn’t even say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, some of you may have noticed, I am no legal expert, and all knowledge I possess is thanks to google. This is also why everything I write seems American crossed with a bit of uk law. I by no means am writing from experience and so this fic is not realistic by any means. Sorry haha. That being said, I probably wont be able to change anything if it is majorly wrong, so apologies again.  
> Thanks to everyone commenting and all the kudos, they are beyond beautiful.  
> This chapter is not the best but I wanted to give you another update, so I apologise if its terrible.


	19. Letters

The first thing Sirius did when they entered the threshold was pull Harry into a tight hug. He squeezed the boy with all the strength he possessed. Harry took a few moments to respond, but eventually he reacted with a hug just as fierce, wrapping his arms around Sirius, tucking his head into his Godfathers chest. they stayed like that, uncaring of the time that passed. 

A sharp ‘Boof!’ sounded from the kitchen, and soon the two were soon attacked by a furious cuddle monster. Snuffled leapt onto them, using his front legs to hook himself over Sirius and Harry’s shoulders. He was as tall as Harry standing on his back legs, and he took that opportunity to give the boy a long, slobbery kiss on the boy’s cheek.

Laughing, the two shucked off the dog. The setting sun left the room a haze of orange. The summer heat though dissipated, was still present. Finally, Harry pulled away from Sirius, scrubbing his hands over his face. The laughter continued to bubble out of his chest, but it wasn’t long before it turned to deep, uncontrollable sobs. Harry pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes, hoping the pressure would ease the stream of tears flooding down his cheeks. He couldn’t stop sobbing. 

Sirius pulled him back into his chest. Then man’s arms were shaking, and Harry could feel his godfather’s breath hitching against his ear. 

It took a long time before either of them was able to extract themselves from the hug. The last of the sunlight was all but gone from the sky, and Snuffles was beginning to whine for dinner. 

Sirius finally cleared his throat. Harry took that as his time being up, and slowly moved away, wiping his eyes with shaking hands. Before he could step to far away, Sirius reached up and helped wipe away the streaks of tears on Harry’s cheeks, and the simple movement was enough to make Harry want to cry again. But he didn’t. 

“I should get something on for dinner,” Sirius’s voice was hoarse. “You need to go clean up.”

Harry nodded, rubbing his eyes, before making his way to the bathroom. 

After showering and dressing, Harry made his way to his room. He sat on his bed a little too hard, the spring sending him bounding a few times before settling. The deep-rooted exhaustion clawing through him enticed him to lay his head on the pillow, but his discarded blazer lying on the bedroom floor caught his eye. He stood up, making his way over to retrieve the letters he had momentarily forgot about, the crisp paper smooth against his fingers. The letters retrieved, he made his way back over to his bed, sitting with his back against the wall and his legs pulled to his chest. The lamp bedside his bed illuminated the room is a soft glow. He slid the rubber band free and began opening the first letter from Ron. It was dated from just two weeks ago.  
_  
Dear Harry,_

_I hope you are alright._

_Romania is wicked awesome. Mum hasn’t let Charlie out of her sight since we got here. Not something he has been happy about. Fred and George are up to their usual shit, but it’s not been too bad. These days, they’re too scared of Ginny to pull any major pranks on her, and I’ve been spending most my time with her. Bit boring, but at least I’ve got to see some cool stuff, and I already got something picked out for your Birthday!_

_I hope the Dursleys haven’t been too horrible to you, but I guess just them breathing is terrible. I talked to Hermione and she said it would be useless to send you a letter, because of your relatives, but I had to send something. If you don’t get this, I understand, but if you do, please send me a letter letting me know you’re alright!_

_We will be staying with Charlie for another month and a half, then we are off on a tour for a week. If you send a letter sooner, that would be best, but I will let you know where we end up, so you always know where to send one!_

_Remember, we get home on the 4th of August!_

_Bye-_

_Ron_

_P.S. Hermione might send a letter too, so keep an eye out for one so your Uncle doesn’t burn it._

____

__Sure enough, the next letter on the pile was from Hermione, her writing neater, and loopier than Ron’s. Harry smiled. He placed Ron’s opened letter on his bedside table, making a mental note to write the other boy back._ _

_Hi Harry,_

_I don’t know if you will get this, so I will try and keep it short._

__Harry snorted. The letter was far from short. It took up most the page._ _

_New York has been wonderful. The Americans do things so differently over here, it’s fascinating. To think our cultures can be so similar yet so vastly different is baffling. Just yesterday, a man asked me if I wanted fries with my salad! And red sauce! They put it on everything. And goodness, I haven’t had a good cup of tea since I got here._

_Nevertheless, I am enjoying myself. The sights have been extraordinary. My parents are thinking about extending our stay another week, meaning we won’t get back until three weeks before school starts! I worry that isn’t enough time to revise the course work for the upcoming year, but I suppose we will see how things play out._

_I know Ron has already sent you a letter, and I know you don’t like to worry us, but Harry. I am worried. I feel so awful leaving you by yourself all summer._

_I told Ron writing you would be useless, but I couldn’t stop myself from giving in. I just hope you get this, and that your relatives aren’t treating you to harshly. Remember, if you get in any trouble, you can always phone the number I gave you!_

____

____

_Stay strong!_

_Love from,_

_Hermione_

__Harry was sure the number she gave him wouldn’t work. It was nothing like any he had ever seen. Still, he had kept it. It was somewhere in his bedside table, he was sure.  
__

Hecould only laugh at his friends’ antics. Only Hermione would want to revise for the upcoming school year. He placed the letter on top of Ron’s and moved onto the next.

__It was another from Ron. It was also notably shorter._ _

_Dear Harry,_

_I know it’s only been a week since the last letter I sent, but I wanted to send another in case anything happened to the first._

_Bill surprised Mum last night, just showed up without telling anyone, so now everyone is here. Except Percy. Not that I mind that. The git is still going on about his latest job in government, not that I care at all._

_If you get this, please send me a letter letting me know your ok. Even just something short so I know you’re still alive._

_Please._

_Talk soon,_

_Ron_

__Harry knows he needs to send Ron a letter by tomorrow at the latest. The thought caused panic to spark in his chest, then guilt. How was Ron going to forgive him for not mentioning Sirius before? He was bound to be furious, and rightfully so. Harry had been an awful friend._ _

__Then there was the matter of Draco. No way was he telling Ron about any of that. Harry pushed the thought from his mind, picking up the last letter with gently fingers._ _

__He couldn’t recognise the writing. The letter was coloured yellow, the paper stained with age. In wasn’t even addressed to him. Instead, Petunia Dursley was printed in loopy, bubbly writing. Harry turned the letter over. On the back, in the same bubbly letters, were the words:_ _

_Lily Evans Potter  
Potters Cottage, Godric Hollows_

__His breath hitched, his chest constricting. Harry opened and closed his eyes, then pinched himself, trying to wake himself up. With shaking hands, he traced his mother’s name._ _

__It took a while before Harry could bring himself to pull out the letter, but eventually, he pulled the stiff paper out of the yellowed envelope._ _

_Dear Petunia,_

_I know it has been a while since we last talked and I know that is probably how you like things to be._

_Still, I couldn’t stop myself from writing this letter to you. These past few weeks have made me long for a sister, one who I could tell everything too, just like we used too.  
After a long, trying nine months, I have finally given birth to a baby boy! Harry! Though he has only been with us a week, James and I have never loved somebody more. The first time I saw him, I cried. I had never been so happy. He is perfect. He is healthy. _

_James, Sirius and Remus have been doting on him every day since he was born, and I worry he will grow up to be spoilt rotten. But at least he will grow up knowing he is loved. I don’t think he has even slept in his own cot yet. Everyone has taken turns holding him as he sleeps, spending as much time as they can with him. I just know he will grow up to be a handsome boy, just like his father. He already looks just like him. The hair, the nose. They are James’s. However, I am happy to write he has the Evan eyes! I just know they will be the most gorgeous green, just like Dad’s and mine._

_I suppose you are wondering why I am writing you, and I can’t say I have a good answer for that question. I have heard you have recently had a boy of your own, and I simply found myself wondering, how you have been?_

_Although the James and the boys have done nothing but help and support Harry and I, I can’t help but feel as though I am not doing enough. There are times when Harry cries and I have no idea if he is hungry, or sleepy, or in pain! And I wondered if this is what you also went through, with your own child, without my help. I know you wouldn’t have needed my help, but I still feel as though I did wrong by you, not being there._

_I don’t know how to wrap this up. I don’t know if we can repair all the things wrong between us. I just wanted you to know about Harry, and know that I am thinking of you, even when it may not seem like it._

_I hope one day we can move past everything and become sisters again._

_Until then._

_Love Always,_

_Lily_

__Harry’s lip trembled. His eyes stung, and he failed to stop a tear drop from falling on the paper. His hands trembled, and he had to clench his jaw to keep any noise from escaping his mouth._ _

__He picked up the envelope beside him, intending to put the letter back safely, when he noticed it still held something._ _

__Reaching once more into the yellow paper, Harry pulled out a small, rectangular photograph. The edges were faded, but it was undeniable what the photo was of. In the centre, was his mother, her auburn hair falling just below her shoulders, her smiling face beaming to the camera. In her arms, underneath a bundle of blankets, was a baby Harry, reaching up to hold his mother’s hair in his small, chubby hands._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you everyone who has left kudos and comments. I haven't been able to reply to everyone but I want to thank you for all the support you have given my story, I love reading your thoughts!  
> So, Harry cries a lot in this, but like, the kid deserves it, he's been through the ringer. Canon be damned.  
> I had an awful time trying to figure out how to use italics, so if the formatting is wrong I apologise.   
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this emotional rollercoaster!


	20. Moony and Pads

Sirius was unsure if he could leave Harry so soon after gaining guardianship of the boy. The day had been slow. The mood in the house quite and dimmed. Harry was content to stare at the tv in his Pj’s, unmoving, while Sirius pottered about the house, half-heartedly cleaning without any results. It was only when he wiped the kitchen counter for the fifth time Harry had enough. 

“Just go already!”

Sirius looked at his godson in shock. Snuffles head laid on the boy’s knees. He wagged his tail upon noticing Sirius’s attention on the pair.

“What are you on about?” He asked his godson. 

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Whatever is on your mind, just sort it out already. Your making me nervous and you suck at cleaning.”

The look on Harry’s face, this exasperated, fond look, was one that sent a pang to Sirius’s chest. It was the same look James had adorned many times.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything!”

Harry simply sent his Godfather another knowing look. 

Sirius huffed. 

“Fine. I was thinking about calling Remus. To chat.”

“Ok then?”

Sirius wiped the counter again.

“Sirius! Sack up and call the man! For Christ sake,” Harry exclaimed.

He spluttered, too shocked at his Godson’s reaction to protest when Harry stood from the couch, ignored Snuffles offended look, and headed straight to the home phone in the corridor. Sirius listened as Harry started dialling and went to inspect what was going on. 

“It’s ringing,” he handed the phone to a stunned Sirius, before walking away.

“What? How the hell do you even know the right number!” Sirius scrambled with the phone, shoving it to his ear in time to hear a familiar, soothing voice. 

Remus had agreed to meet for lunch with Sirius. By themselves. To talk.

The whole trip there, Sirius felt like bailing, but he didn’t. That counted as a win, he thought. 

He sat under an umbrella at the café Harry, Remus and he had eaten ate not so long ago unable to stop his leg from shaking. The day’s summer sun was out in full force, causing people to seek shade along the side of buildings as they walked. In front of him sat a single coffee mug. It had once been a cappuccino, which he had nervously sipped until the entire drink was consumed in under two minutes. Now, he watched the streets, waiting for the right man to approach. 

It was the waiting that put Sirius on edge. The constant waiting, and thinking, and thinking and waiting. What if Remus had moved on from what they had? He hadn’t said anything when they met up last, but maybe Sirius’s tongue in his mouth had stopped Remus before he could say anything. Did he force their relationship? Did Remus regret hooking up with him after everything they had been through? What if there was another man? Woman?

Sirius was going crazy. 

It was while these swam through his head, a man approached the table, completely unaware of the inner dilemma playing through the Sirius’s head. It was the sound of the metal chair scraping against the cement ground that drew Sirius from his thoughts, causing him jump. He knocked the table, sending packets of sugar flying everywhere. He quickly scrambled, shoving them back into their allotted spot, hopping he didn’t look like a total loon. A familiar deep chuckle sounded in front of Sirius, and he willed himself to keep from blushing. 

“As graceful as ever, Padfoot.”

“You’re the one that snuck up on me, Moony. If anything, it’s your fault!”

The same warm chuckle, and then Remus Lupin was sitting in front of him. 

He looked ragged. Scars on his face from when he was young still prominent against his pale skin. His clothes ill-fitting and patchy, looked like they had outlived their make long ago, but from sheer force of will still held together. The bags under his eyes gave hint to the troubled sleep Sirius knew plagued the man. Remus Lupin was worn and tired, and he was everything Sirius had always desired. 

“Do you want to order a coffee?” Sirius asked.

Remus gave Sirius a knowing look, aware of his old friend’s diversion tactic before simply nodding his head. 

They hailed the waiter, and both ordered themselves a drink. While waiting, they made mindless small talk, first about the weather, then the walk here, finishing with the people in the streets. When the waiter dropped off their drinks with a final smile, Remus turned to Sirius with a deadpanned expression. 

“Pads, I know you didn’t ask me here to gossip about random strangers.”

“No, I suppose I didn’t,” He took a long sip of his new coffee. His heart was racing already. 

“So?” Remus sighed, his face downcast, sombre. “The trial didn’t go well?”

“What?” Sirius looked puzzled before a frantic expression overtook him. “No, no, it went perfectly! I have full custody of Harry, and Vernon, the asshat, well he got charged with contempt of court. Harry never has to go back to those people, Remus! Everything worked out so amazingly perfect, you have no idea how thrilled we are.”

The other man was stunned for a moment, before laughter bubbled out of his mouth. The longer he laughed the more it sounded like tears. Remus ran his hand over his face, scratching along the stubble building beneath his chin. 

“Oh, fuck Sirius! You had me scared shitless!”

The words made Sirius laugh as well, so joyed to hear his old friend cussing once more. 

“Bloody hell,” Remus sighed out another laugh. “That’s fantastic Pads, I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Moony. I can’t believe we made it through. Honestly.”

They fell into silence, each awkwardly sipping their drinks dry. Once again, it was Remus that broke the silence between them, speaking more into his cup than to Sirius.

“You know, after you told me everything that had been going on, I fucking hated myself. Still do. I mean, how could I have been so blind! Harry was my student. I was trained to spot these things.”

“Remus,” Sirius tried to cut him off, but the man was having none of it. 

“No Sirius. I fucked up. I’ve been teaching Harry for two years. I should have noticed something, but instead I put it down to him being James’s son, being secretive because of the trouble he was getting himself into. Fuck. I should have noticed. I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t notice.”

When he finished, he hung his head, shaking it slightly. Sirius was too stunned to respond.

“I keep screwing things up with the people I’m meant to care about the most. I never believed you when you said you were innocent. I never noticed anything about Harry’s relatives. I mean, I just thought he liked the Weasleys better. And now I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t want me in your lives. Either of you,” he finished with a shuttering breath.

“What are you on about?” Sirius demanded. “Don’t be daft, it doesn’t suit you Remus. Of course, I want you in our lives. And so does Harry. Who do you think made the call to you this morning?”

“You don’t have to pretend anything Sirius. I let both of you down, and I can’t expect you to forgive me for that.”

“Well I fucking do, so deal with it, you self-hating prat. I’m meant to be the drama queen in this relationship, not you, so sack up.”

Something in those words caused Remus to look up at Sirius, his heartbroken expression turned sadder. 

“Our relationship?”

“Well, I mean…” Sirius trailed off, looking up at the cloudless sky. “Fuck. That’s why I called you. To talk about us. To see if we could work things out…I don’t know.”

He scrubbed the back of his neck, trying his hardest to avoid Remus’s gaze. 

“Do you want to work things out? After everything?”

Still looking at the sky, he nodded. He heard Remus suck in another shaky breath. 

“Why though?” his voice was small. Nearly lost in the wind. “After everything, how could you still want to be with me?”

Sirius felt like vomiting. His heart felt like it was being stabbed. 

“Because I still love you,” he finally looked to Remus, staring into his amber eyes. “Because I still want you in my life. Because I wake up every morning wishing you were there next to me.”

Silence fell over the table, as Remus took in Sirius’s words. Seconds blended into minutes. 

“Look, Moony, I understand if you don’t feel the same anymore. I mean, I don’t expect us to fall back together immeadiatly, if at all, but I needed you to know. You don’t have to say anything, I can just go and-”

Lips silenced his rambling, chapped and tasting of chocolate. It was all so familiar, and Sirius was taken back to their first kiss, 16-yeards old, underneath the night sky. Too soon, Remus pulled back.

“Of course, I still love you, you prat,” he pressed their foreheads together over the café table. 

Sirius couldn’t help the huff of laughter that came from him. He surged up to steal another kiss from Moony. After another chaste kiss, they sat back staring at each other once again. A quick glance into the restaurant showed that the waiter either didn’t see them, or simply didn’t care. 

“We can’t do this like we did last time,” Remus said. 

“I know, I know. I was a right prat about everything, and young and so stupid-”

“That’s not what I meant, Sirius,” his expression was stern, like he was talking to one of his students. “You have Harry now. That means everything comes down to him, and what he is comfortable with. He is the priority right now. Not us or our feelings.”

“I know, Remus. Of course, I know that,” Sirius scratched his beard. “But I need to know if you even want there to be something between us before bringing it up with him. I mean, we have talked about you and me, and he seemed fine, but… I need to know if it’s a conversation we can have before I go ahead.”

Remus took a breath, his head nodding slightly. 

“I’ve already lost to much of my life trying to forget you, Pads. I know now you are all I will ever want.”

Sirius felt like laughing. Like running through the streets screaming at the top of his lungs. Like serenading his Moony right then and there. He did none of those things. 

“Well then. I suppose I better chat with Harry about the possibility of a new Dad,” the words came out drier than they were meant to, with less humour and more awkwardness. The chuckle sounded forced and pained. 

“Not a new Dad, Pads,” Remus said softly. “I’m not here to replace James or you.”

Sirius licked his lips. 

“Lucius thinks I should.”

“What?” Remus frowned. 

“Lucius thinks I should replace James. Officially adopt Harry. Make sure his relatives can never touch him again.”

Remus studied Sirius closely, running his eyes over the other mans face, taking in his hunched shoulders and bitter expression. He gently reached a hand across the table, taking hold of calloused fingers. 

“You wouldn’t be replacing James, Pads. Just keeping Harry a bit safer. But, if you don’t want to do it, there are other ways we can try.”

“It’s not like I don’t want to!” His eyes were stinging, like they always did when talking about James. “He is my godson. I would do anything to protect him, Remus. I just don’t want to forget James. I shouldn’t be able to take away his place as Harry’s father.”

A thumb rubbed against the back of Sirius’s hand. 

“Ok, Pads.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Alright then, we can talk about something else. But this isn’t a conversation you can keep putting off.”

Sirius nodded, sniffling a sharp breath in. 

“So how have the Malfoys been? Completely done with you now you’re no longer paying them?”

“Huh,” Sirius laughed. “You actually won’t believe this. Lucius, the git, asked us to dinner Friday night.”

“What, us as in you and Harry.”

“No, Moony, us as in, you, Harry and me.”

“The fuck?”

“I know right! Nearly couldn’t believe it myself.”

“What sparked this change in attitude?”

“Honestly, I asked the same thing. Well, you know how I was telling you about Harry and Draco and how I reckoned there was something a little extra stirring up there?”

Remus nodded. 

“Well, apparently Lucius was more clued in than I thought. Like I knew he thought his son liked Harry, but I didn’t think the man knew his son was a flaming homo. Honestly, the poor kid could have given me a run for my money back in the day. Anyway, turns out he worked through some shit, and now he is what the teens call ‘tolerant’.”

“That’s what everyone calls it, Sirius.”

Sirius waved him off, rolling his eyes. 

“Basically, this man worked through years’ worth of active homophobia and intolerance just because he really loves his son. Kind of makes you hate your own parents even more really.”

Remus shot Sirius the look he always did when the other man spoke about his parents, sad and knowing. 

“So, he wouldn’t care if we became a couple again?”

“I don’t think so.”

Remus hummed. As he sipped the last of his hot chocolate, Sirius detected the tell-tale expression of a man plotting. 

“Moony?”

“Sirius, I think you need to have this chat with Harry soon.”

“Why is that?”

“It would be a terrible shame for me to turn down an invitation to dinner with the Malfoys, don’t you think, dear Pads?”

Sirius’s bark of laughter resonated up the street, and soon the two put their heads together, plotting against the Malfoy’s just like when they were children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I suck, I know. I have just been through all my old chapters cleaning things up. I didn't noticed I screwed up some formatting so hopefully that's all been fixed.   
> Anyway, hope you enjoy some Wolfstar, I hope it isn't too OOC.   
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments!


	21. There's a lot going on!

  
_Dear Ron,_

__

__

I got your letters. Hermione’s as well. Sounds like you are both having a wonderful time, which I am glad to hear. 

I’m sorry for making you worry so much, but things have been pretty full on this summer. The thing is, I haven’t been very honest with you and Hermione this year. I really am sorry, I just didn’t know how to tell you everything that was going on, and I didn’t want you to worry anymore about me than you already do. 

Basically, I am no longer living with the Dursleys. I haven’t been for about four months now. I swear, I meant to tell you, but with everything happening at once, I just didn’t know how to. The past couple of weeks have been really intense. My godfather Sirius Black has taken me in after he got out of prison, but I swear he is totally safe and nice! He went through all these checks and we did meetings through social services and its totally fine. I just never told you guys because I guess I thought it would make everything disappear. Anyway, yesterday we had a guardianship hearing against the Dursleys, and Sirius won! I never have to go back to the Dursleys Ron! Its insane. 

I really hope you don’t hate me for not telling you. I didn’t want to ruin your holiday, which I know is a shit excuse but it’s true. I’m so sorry for making you worry.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays,

From, 

Harry.

Ps. Sirius is totally awesome and let me adopt a dog! His name is Snuffles and I don’t know what type he is, but I can’t wait for you to meet him.

Harry sealed the note in an envelope, carefully printing the address Ron had left on his letters. He quickly wrote out a similar letter to Hermione. His hands shook as he finished stamping them. 

It was a quick walk to the nearest post box. Snuffles trotted alongside Harry as he stepped quickly, two envelopes in hand. The midday sun was out full force, burning the back of his neck as he walked. When he finally reached the box, his hand refused to let go of the letters. With a deep breath, he finally let go, sending the letters tumbling into the post box. 

When he arrived back home, Sirius was sitting on the couch. He was staring at the television which was turned off. 

“Alright, Sirius?”

“Hmm,” Sirius looked up. “Oh yeah, fine.”

Harry unclipped Snuffles collar, and the dog took off towards his water bowl. 

“Actually, I had to talk to you about something.”

Harry’s heart sunk. 

“Ok?”

“Come sit.”

Shoulders slumped, Harry walked over to sit with Sirius on the couch, awkwardly placing himself on the edge of the cushions. The couch sunk deeply, its springs old and worn. The window was opened, and the birds chirping outside were loud and playful. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing’s wrong, Harry, promise,” Sirius took a deep breath. “I just wanted to tell you how my chat with Remus went.”

Harry pulled a face. 

“Ok?”

“We talked about a couple of things, but most importantly, the thing I wanted to bring up with you, was the possibility of me seeing Remus again.”

He sounded nervous, which Harry didn’t understand.

“Why would I care if Professor Lupin and you meet up again?” Harry asked, head quirked to the side. 

Sirius paused, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Oh my god, you’re as oblivious as your father was.”

“Hey!”

Sirius chuckled. 

“I meant as in dating, Harry.”

“What like, proper dating?”

“Yes, Harry.”

“So, like, he would be staying here?”

“Well, not exactly,” Sirius paused. “We haven’t talked about that yet.”

Harry paused and mulled over what Sirius was saying. On one hand, it shouldn’t concern him, but on the other…

“Didn’t you two just start talking again, like a week ago?”

Sirius frowned. 

“Well, yeah…”

“Isn’t that a bit quick?”

“Well, I suppose…” he trailed off, looking puzzled. “I guess it doesn’t feel that quick for me. Not after 12 years in prison. I suppose it might look odd to you, but we have known each other since we were 11, so it honestly doesn’t feel quick at all.”

Harry took that in, shifting on the couch. 

“What did Professor Lupin say?” 

“I wish you would call him Remus, or even Moony. I watched that twat pull pranks on Professors when we were kids and there’s no way he should’ve been granted the title.”

Harry thought about how hard it would be for him to that after calling the man Professor Lupin for two years. Instead of telling Sirius that, he simply nodded. 

“So, what did he say?”

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Well, he said that it was possible we could talk about seeing each other again, given your approval.”

“Why do you need my approval?”

“Because, you’re my priority now Harry. I’m your guardian.”

“Seems odd.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. 

“It’s not odd, buddy. Trust me.”

They sat in silence for a moment while Harry thought over what Sirius was asking. 

“Do you think it’s a good idea? Getting back together with Professor Lup- Moony.”

“You don’t look comfortable with this, Harry,” Sirius said instead of answering the question. 

Harry shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked away from his Godfather, and his disappointed stare. 

“Look, I can tell Moony not to worry about any of it, if it doesn’t make you comfortable, Harry.”

“That’s not fair on you, Pads.”

“This conversation isn’t about me, Harry. If you aren’t comfortable with me dating Remus than I will leave it. I understand you just learnt about us and haven’t come to terms with it yet.”

As much as he tried, Sirius couldn’t keep his voice from seeping disappointment. 

Harry let out a frustrated groan. 

“It’s not about that!” He snapped. 

“What’s it about, Harry? You need to talk to me here,” Sirius through his hands up, frustration leaking through his words.

Harry drew his knees to his chest, leaning back into the couch. 

“Everything is happening too quick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Fuck,” Harry breathed, before trying to explain what he meant. “First, I was moving in with you, then it was the Hearing against the Dursleys. A month ago, I hated Draco Malfoy, now I’m upset with him for not saying goodbye to me yesterday! And now, you want to start dating my teacher, and I’m trying to be ok with everything that’s happening, but fuck, it’s a lot to take in, Sirius.”

Harry waited for a response, holding his breath. Finally, his godfather hummed.

“I guess I hadn’t thought about how much was going on for you.”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to be happy, Sirius. This is just a lot.”

“I understand, Harry.”

“Please don’t hate me,” Harry mumbled, chin on his knees.

“Christ, I could never hate you, you dolt,” Sirius pulled his godson to his chest swaying him back and forth until Harry cracked a smile. “How about this. Remus and I avoid getting too serious for now. Just try and become friends again before anything else. Would that be alright with you?”

Harry thought about the offer, before nodding. 

“Of course,” Harry said. “It’s your life, Sirius. I don’t want to stop you from seeing him, I just don’t want everything to happen so quickly.”

“I know. It was unfair of me to put this on you so soon. That’s on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising!”

“Sorry.”

Sirius groaned, shaking his head. 

“Actually, speaking of the Malfoy’s,” Sirius segued the topic. “They have invited us over to dinner Friday night.”

Harry immediately perked up. 

“Cool.”

“Remus was invited as well, and he said he could come, but if you don’t want him there, I can call and cancel-”

“Don’t be silly! I don’t mind if Professor Moony comes to dinner.”

Harry paused, running through what he just said. Sirius let out a sharp bark of laughter. 

“Professor Moony!” He cackled again. “I’m telling him about that one.”

Harry groaned, burying his head in his hands to hide his reddening face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics hates me, so sorry about that formatting crap.  
> This chapter is shorter than the others, so I figured I'd post it pretty soon after the last update.  
> Honestly, feels like my writing just keeps getting crappier, so sorry about that. I'd like to use the excuse I rushed the latest chapters, but you may have clued in to the fact that all my work is rushed.  
> Sorry Wolfstar has been a bit rushed. I am really new to writing it and I just hate when they fight hahaha. I just want them to be a happy family already tbh, but I will stick to it.


	22. Dinner and a Deal

Malfoy Manor was the biggest property Harry had ever seen. The driver crept along the road at a slow, steady pace, showing off the property in its entirety. The driveway leading up to the Manor was long and winding, showing of the display of freshly mown green lawns and well nurtured garden beds. Harry was sure he even spotted a peacock rustling around in the bushes, before it escaped his sight. 

When the manor finally came into view, Harry’s jaw dropped. The building looked at least five stories high. It was like a castle, smaller than Hogwarts, but only just. Its white walls were pristine, and colour stained windows lined the stories. He couldn’t imagine ever growing up in a house so remarkably large.

Finally, the car pulled into a driveway that closer resembled a roundabout. The Driver stopped, and the engines hum lulled to a finite stop. They were stopped at the steps leading to the front door, which Harry thought it larger than any door had a right to be. 

Sirius was the first to jump out of the car, beating The Driver outside. Throwing Sirius a filthy look, The Driver walked to Harry’s door, holding it open for the boy to exit. Harry tried to smile at the man, but it closer resembled a grimace. Sirius stuck his tongue out to the driver, before opening the passenger front door with a flourished bow. A deep sigh sounded from inside the car, and Remus Lupin stepped out, wearing black slacks and a white button down. It was the nicest thing Harry had ever seen his teacher in. Rising to his full height, Remus smacked Sirius upside the head, before straightening his shirt and making his way to the stairs where Harry was standing.

“Bit much, don’t you reckon?” Remus leaned back, taking in the enormous house. 

“Yeah, bit much,” Harry agreed. 

“This is nothing. You should have seen my family Manor,” Sirius strode up the stairs without a second thought.

Harry and Remus shared a look behind Sirius’s back before making their way up the marble staircase. The building became more intimidating as they approached. The pillars lining the walkway looked like Greek ruins before they became ruins, white and unchipped. When they finally arrived at the top of the stairs, Sirius straightened his shirt and brought a hand up to knock. Before his fist could connect, however, the doors were thrust open, startling both Harry and Remus. 

“Cousin Sirius,” Mrs. Malfoy threw her arms out, greeting Sirius in a soft embrace.

She looked ethereal. The cream gown she wore was made of silk. It flowed to the ground, bundling around her heal clad feet. Her blonde hair was curled, falling past her shoulders, framing her sharp cheekbones. There was a grace about the way she held herself. Straight backed, chin high. Yet, three was a glint in her eyes warning one to be cautious. 

“Good to see you, Cissy,” Sirius returned the hug. They kissed each other’s cheeks. 

“And Harry, how lovely to see you again,” she moved over to Harry, cupping her hands over his cheeks, raising his head up to look into his eyes. 

“Um, hi.”

“Oh, my dear. You just have the most beautiful eyes. Just like your mothers.”

Harry simply nodded, unsure what else to say. She slowly dropped her hands from her face, looking now to Remus. 

“Mr. Lupin, so glad you could come,” she nodded in his direction. 

“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Come now,” she turned without another glance their way, making her way inside. 

Her gown flowed behind her as she walked, the fabric glistening in the light. Harry hung back to avoid stepping on it, conscious of the fact he was underdressed in his blue jeans and black dress shirt.

“It simply must be wonderful for you to a free man, Sirius, and to have Harry all to yourself finally” Mrs. Malfoy led them through a massive, spacious room, fit with a crystal chandelier. If he had to bet, Harry would guess this to be a ballroom. “Heaven knows I never thought I’d see the day you were let out.”

Harry twirled his head around, unable to keep his eyes on any one spot. Their footsteps echoed around the circular walls. Harry noticed he was falling behind and jogged to catch up with the adults before he got completely lost.

“Yes well, I did tell everyone I was innocent,” Sirius snarked. 

“Oh, yes, I remember. I just never thought you were telling the truth.”

“Oohh,” Sirius chuckled, his teeth gritted. “You really haven’t changed, Cissy.”

“Whatever do you mean, cousin?” Mrs. Malfoy smirked, glancing sideways at Sirius. “Now Harry, Draco is in his room if you would like to head up. Sirius and Mr. Lupin will be joining Lucius and I in the parlour before dinner.”

“Oh, um,” Harry glanced to Sirius for help.

“Last door on the left. Remind Draco supper starts at 7pm sharp. Do not let him be late.”

Sirius shot Harry an encouraging smile, nodding for him to head off. With another stammer and glance at the adults, Harry stumbled off across the expansive ballroom, his footsteps loud and unsure ringing through off the walls. He listened as Mrs. Malfoy guided Sirius and Remus into another room, shutting the door with a sharp bang behind them. 

Harry took a deep breath. The air in the manor had a chill, and the paintings covering the walls had eyes that followed his every move. Harry tried to walk quickly, pretending he wasn’t close to breaking out into a run to get away from the cavernous, chilling space. Reaching the staircase was like reaching the safety of Hogwarts after a chilling night at the Dursleys, filling him with unrelenting relief. Harry shook his head, berating himself for being so stupid. There was nothing about this room that was dangerous, he thought. His hammering heart slowed slightly, and after a few breaths, Harry started his assent up the twirling marble staircase.

The cover of the staircase didn’t last long, and soon he was facing a long, daunting hallway, with a roof abnormally high and white carpet that looked like it would stain by one simply looking at it wrong. The portraits and pictures lining the walls were kinder at least, and Harry recognised a few photos of a young Draco. Most were school pictures Harry had already seen, however, there was one photo of a baby Draco wearing nothing but underwear standing underneath a sprinkler on the manner grounds, laughing at the camera with unbridled joy. The picture was the only unguarded smile Harry had ever seen on Draco, and he couldn’t explain why the sight made him smile.

After a few moments, Harry finally began his walk down the pristine hallway, pretending the creaks protruding from the house were his cause and his cause only. Never mind the one’s that were definitely coming from the empty bathroom he passed.

He scouted the space he was in, counting out the doors he passed until he reached the end of the hallway. He remember Mrs. Malfoys words, and finally pinned down the room he was sure was Draco’s. Harry’s stomach with butterflies he couldn’t explain. He stalled outside the door he identified as Draco’s, swaying back and forth as he racked up the courage to knock on the door. 

Slam! A door slammed shut behind Harry. The sound of heavy, pounding footsteps came closer and closer, closing in on Harry. A deep chill filled the hallway, raising the hair on his arms. Without hesitating, Harry threw open the door to Draco’s room slamming it behind him and holding it shut. 

“Don’t you fucking knock?!” the shrill, angry voice of Draco Malfoy shocked Harry out of his fright. 

He swirled around pressing his back against the mahogany door. 

For all the sights Harry expected to see, nothing could prepare him for what faced him. Draco Malfoy was sprawled on his stomach diagonally across his king-sized bed, wearing nothing but a plain green t-shirt and black boxers. He was listening to a cassette tape with headphones, his feet dangling in the air. The canopy of the bed fell around him like he was in a photoshoot. 

Upon Harry’s intrusion, Draco had ripped the headphones off his head but did nothing more than shoot the other boy a seething glare. 

Harry stuttered, thinking of the excuses and apologies he could give. Of all the things Harry could have said, he was surprised he managed to pick the stupidest.

“I think your house is haunted.”

Draco shook his head, his eyes squinted and angry, his lips pursed. It was a look Harry knew well. The ‘Potter you fucking idiot, how can anyone be so stupid’ look. It was an expression he had been receiving from Draco since First year, and now that Harry thought about what he had said, he realised he deserved it this time. Of course, Malfoys house didn’t have ghost. He was being stupid. Any minute now Draco would open his mouth and tell him so.

“Well, obviously Potter. What did you expect?”

Harry blinked.

“I’m sorry. What?”

“I said, of course it’s haunted. It’s an ancestral home, you dunce.”

Harry couldn’t stop his head from shaking minutely, like he couldn’t understand what Draco was saying. 

“Don’t tell me your afraid of ghosts, Potter.”

“What? No!” Harry defended. He glanced towards the door, listening as footsteps retreated down the hallway. “…are you messing with me?”

Draco shook his head, trying to hide his growing smile from Harry by shifting to the edge of his bed. 

“Relax. It doesn’t come into my room. Apparently, I scare it,” he shoved the cassette player and headphones into his bedside table. “Not my fault I don’t like to be woken up at the crack of dawn on weekends.”

“Huh,” was the only response Harry could truly think of. The house was haunted?

An awkward silence fell over them. 

Harry finally took notice of the room he was in. It was like the top floor of a grand hotel. The entire layout was silver and green, just like the Slytherin house colours, Harry noted unhappily. It gave off the aura of rich and spoilt. A couch that looked more expensive than anything Harry owned was pushed up against a wall, and in front of it, a table fit with a fruit display. An opened door showed off a walk-in wardrobe filled to the brim with designer clothes, and another door led to a bathroom nicer than any spa Harry could ever imagine going to. In the centre of the room was the canopy bed which looked so extravagant, Harry thought it was something only seen in movies.

Yet, there was also a touch of something else, something different, that Harry could only describe as Draco’s touch filling the room. A poster of Draco’s favourite football team (Harry would deny ever knowing it was Tottenham) was stuck to the wall above the couch. A bookshelf bedside the bed was filled with nerdy books he knew only Draco and Hermione would enjoy. Even the way Draco held himself, relaxed and lazing about in his boxers, showed how casual, safe, he felt in this space.

“What?” Draco demanded, noticing Harry’s stare. 

“Nothing!” Harry rubbed the back of his neck. Another awkward silenced passed before Harry remembered Mrs. Malfoys words. “Um, your mum said supper is at 7pm and to not be late.”

“Supper is at 7 every night, Potter. I hardly need you reminding me about it.”

“Oh.”

Harry glanced around the room once more, noticing the golden hew streaming through the open window. It bounced off Draco’s hair like a golden halo. 

“Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to sit down?”

Harry glanced towards the couch, shifting on his feet as he decided whether to sit on something that looked so expensive. 

“For god sakes, Potter, go and sit,” Draco pointed to the couch with a firm look. 

Harry paced over to the couch, sitting stiffly on the edge of the cushions. 

Rolling his eyes, Draco stood, walking with his back turned to Harry towards his walk-in wardrobe. Harry listened as Draco rummaged around. When he emerged, he was wearing a pair of black jeans. Harry couldn’t explain why the sight made his heart rate increase. 

“What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing!” Harry defended. Draco raised an eyebrow, and Harry noticed how stiff he was holding his body. Rolling out his shoulders, Harry tried to relax. “This couch just looks like, really expensive.”

Draco chuckled.

“Relax. You aren’t about to break it by sitting on it, Potter. Pansy practically jumps on it each time she comes over.”

There was something about the image of Parkinson draping herself about in Draco’s room that unsettled Harry. He shifted in his seat, slouching back, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Parkinson comes over often?”

“Of course, Potter. She’s my best friend.”

Harry reached over to the coffee table, plucking an apple from the fruit display in front of him. He ran it over in his hands, surprised by the rubbery texture and hollow sounds it made. Plastic, he decided.

“So… how long have you two been dating?”

Draco snorted, flashing Harry the same ‘you’re an idiot’ look. 

“I am not dating Pansy!” Draco walked over and draped himself on the couch beside Harry, leaning against the side as he faced the other boy.

Harry frowned at the words.

“Really? But… she’s always hanging around you?”

“And you’re always hanging around Granger. Does that mean you two are dating?”

“What! No! Hermione and I are just friends!”

“Exactly,” Draco waved his hands about. “Just because Pansy and I hang out, doesn’t mean we are dating. Boys and girls can be friends, you know.”

“Well, yeah I know,” Harry said defensively. “It’s just, she’s always like touching you and stuff.”

“Didn’t know you watched us so closely, Potter. Jealous?”

“Don’t be stupid!”

Harry felt heat explode across his cheeks. He placed the plastic apple back on its pile, avoiding meeting Draco’s eyes. 

“Pansy and I have been friends since we were toddlers. There’s no way we could ever date. She’s like a sister.”

“I guess I get that. Hermione and I are the same. She’s just a friend, you know?”

Draco hummed.

“What about the Weaslette?” He snorted. “God, I will never forget second year, when she sent you that valentine…” 

Draco broke off into fit of silent mocking laughter. 

“Shut up! You don’t know that was Ginny.”

“It so was.”

The change of topic was making Harry uncomfortable. Ginny Weasley’s crush on him had always made him uncomfortable, and not just because her brother was his best mate. He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of how to change the conversation back away from him.

“I thought Crabbe and Goyle were your best friends?”

“Oh, wow. No,” Draco shook his head. “I mean, they hang around me because of our families, and like, it’s always good to have them for backup in certain situations, but no. They aren’t exactly the best at holding a conversation.”

“So, you just keep them around to finish your fights?”

“Hey, I have never needed them to finish my fights!”

Harry shot him a look.

“Oh, that was one time! Every other time, I have fought you myself.”

Harry chuckled. Draco spluttered. 

“Don’t act so high and mighty. How many times have you dragged Weasley into one of our fights?”

“Um, never. Ron is just always around to back me up. Plus, you drag him into it by harassing him until he cracks!”

“Not my fault he makes it so easy!”

“It really is…”

“Of course, you take his side,” Draco scoffed, bouncing to his feet and pacing away.

“He is my best friend, Draco.”

Harry watched Draco pace the room, shaking his head at Harry’s words. He knew they were heading into a dangerous topic. The air in the room was no longer light and playful. Rather, the tension that usually surrounded the two boys during a fight was building. He regretted ever asking about Malfoys friends.

“You wouldn’t know it from the way things have been the last few weeks. I mean, Weasley sure has done a great job of being there for you this summer. Granger too. Where was it they both ran off to while you were going through a custody hearing?”

“Hey, it’s not like that at all!” Anger laced the words. 

“Well than what’s it like, Potter?” He turned around and Harry was shocked to see pure anger on the boy’s face. “I help you through the worst summer of your life, and then what? I know your just going to toss me aside the second Granger and Weasley come back”

“I am not!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes, Draco,” Harry stood, walking over to stand in front of Draco. The other boy tried to sidestep him, but Harry grabbed his arm to keep him still. “Stop it!”

The rage in Draco’s eyes pierced Harry, and he had to keep himself from flinching under its heat. 

“We are not about to go back to the way things were! The fighting and bitching, I’m sick of it. Why are you trying to fight me right now?”

“As if you don’t know,” Draco scoffed.

“Know what, you prat?”

“It’s that easy for you, is it? You just tell your friends we aren’t fighting anymore and sing kumbaya like a bunch of hippies.”

“I mean…” He trailed off, not knowing how to answer. 

“Tell me, how did Weasley take the news? You did tell him we’ve been hanging out this summer, right?”

The question was answered with silence. Harry knew what Draco was getting at. There was a reason he hadn’t told Ron about them in his letter, and with a glance at Harry’s face, Draco knew Harry hadn’t told him for the very reason he was implying. 

“That’s what I thought,” he ripped his arm from Harry’s grip. 

He flung himself back down on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared down Harry with a petulant look on his face.

Harry ran a hand over his face and sighed deeply.

“Look, I haven’t told Ron and Hermione yet, alright,” Harry heard Draco tut, but pushed on. “In my defence, you know I haven’t even properly told them about Sirius!”

Draco shot him a disbelieving look.

“That’s because you’re an idiot, Potter.”

Harry groaned.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Ron and Hermione are going to say the same thing. The thing is, I don’t want to go back to us hating each other. I just,” Harry took a deep breath. “I don’t want to tell them just yet. I doubt they are going to understand, especially since the last time they saw you, Ron got detention.”

“Um, excuse you, Weasley got himself detention.”

Harry rolled his eyes. 

“You know what I mean.”

“I don’t care that you haven’t told your friends, Potter.”

“Then why are you starting a fight about it?” Harry threw his hands up.

Draco jumped to his feet. 

“Are you even listening to me? I am pissed, because I know the second Granger and Weasley are around, you’re going to go stop pretending to like me and we will go back to being enemies!”

Harry stared at the blonde boy, who stood impatiently waiting for an answer.

“Do you really thing that I would do that?” His voice was quiet. “Draco, you’re my friend. I haven’t been acting for the past few weeks.”

Draco dropped his gaze to the floor. 

“I didn’t say that you were.”

“Yeah, but it was implied.”

Draco lowered himself back onto the couch, keeping his eyes lowered on the ground. With a huff, Harry paced over, dropping himself beside the other boy, the expensiveness of the couch completely pushed from his mind. They sat a good distance apart, each on separate ends of the large couch.

“What do you want me to do, Malfoy?”

“We’ve been fighting since we were 11, Harry.”

“I’m aware.”

“Well, our friends aren’t aware of us calling a truce. There is no way they are going to understand if we show up to school this year suddenly acting like friends.”

Harry thought over the words, sounding out each carefully in his mind.

“I don’t get what you’re saying.”

“What I’m saying,” Draco finally looked at him, and Harry’s chest tightened when he saw the blue eyes staring at him. “Is that we shouldn’t tell our friends. At least not until we figure out if we are going to stay friends now that your trial is over.”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Harry scrunched his eyebrows.

“Because you won’t be stuck with me once Granger and Weasley get back.”

“You’re still going to be my friends, Draco. I don’t just forget when people help me, and you have been the only thing keeping me sane this summer.”

“Prove it then. Promise me you won’t tell Granger and Weasley the second they get back. That way they won’t be able to talk you out of being friends with me.”

“They wouldn’t-” A sharp look from Draco cut Harry off. “Ok, they might.”

Harry took a moment to think about what Draco was asking him. 

“Alright,” Harry murmured. “I won’t tell them right away. But I am not keeping this a secret from them forever. There’s also a condition you have to agree to.”

Draco raised an eyebrow.

“You can’t treat them like shit when we go back to school. You have to try and show them you aren’t an asshole, so they don’t try and talk us out of being friends, got it?”

“That’s going to look so suspicious, Potter!”

“I don’t care! You can’t go back to treating us the way you were. I am not saying you have to be friends with them, though that would be ideal, just that you need to stop the insults.”

“What if Weasley starts a fight, are you saying I can’t defend myself?”

“That isn’t what I am saying, and you know it. I’ll keep Ron from starting shit, if you promise not to antagonise him into starting a fight,” Harry gave him a stern look. “Have we got a deal?”

Draco huffed. 

“Fine. Deal.”

Harry held out his hand to Draco, waiting for the other boy to shake on it. The startled look Draco gave him shocked Harry, until he remembered their First Year, when Draco first offered his hand to Harry. He nearly expected the other boy to reject the handshake from pure spite. 

Yet, it didn’t take long for Draco to place his hands in Harry’s, his soft skin touch steady as it brushed against calloused fingers. They held onto each other for longer than both knew socially acceptable, staring at the other with a confusing mix of defiance and trust.

“Right,” Harry broke the handshake, coughing. “Any other concerns you want to discuss, or are can we finally stop fighting?”

“Just one more concern,” Draco said with a serious, deadpanned expression. “When are you going to do something about that disgrace you call hair, Potter? It’s a mess!”

A bark of laughter startled out of Harry. 

“You fucking twat! What’s wrong with my hair?”

The two began to bicker, falling into a comfortable pattern they had established throughout the summer break. Time passed quickly, and soon they were called for supper, late by a whole five minutes, much to the dismay of Mrs. Malfoy, who reprimanded her son for such rude behaviour. He merely smirked at Harry before offering his mother an insincere apology.

When they ate, Harry was seated beside Draco and Sirius, listening as Remus and Mrs. Malfoy discussed the gaps in Hogwarts curriculum. Mr. Malfoy sat at the head of the table, sipping red wine from a crystal glass. When he noticed Harry looking, he sent the boy a small, barely-there smile, before tucking into his dinner with stiff etiquette. Harry shot a look to Sirius, watching the other man stare smitten at the teacher as he rattled off the topics he was wished to introduce to his classes. 

“Did you catch the latest Premier league game, Potter?” Draco asked, his voice lowered to keep from interrupting the adults. 

Harry nodded, and let himself be pulled into a debate with Draco about the latest football match. Each had opposing views on who deserved to proceed to the finals. Though they argued, the heat was missing, and for the first time ever, Harry, surrounded by people he knew cared about him, didn’t care if he won or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. 
> 
> I know it's been way too long since my last update, and I apologise for making you guys wait. I started full time work at the start of the year and it's been more intense than I anticipated. On top of that, this Virus has been a real shit kicker that hasn't given me any time off whatsoever, and only increased my workload. 
> 
> Anyway, enough excuses. This chapter is twice the size of my usual update, and I am sorry to say it is the final chapter of this fic! But DONT PANIC! I plan on writing another part to this story, which will involve a time skip to the start of Fifth year which I am super excited to write! I just wanted to wrap up this section of the story before heading into more one-shot style stories. This way you guys wont have to wait for my updates and I wont have the added stress of leaving a story unfinished. I will also hopefully cover all loose ends in my other parts, but I apologise if I have accidentally left anything untouched. I am still so new to writing large stories like this one.
> 
> So, thank you guys so much for all the support you have offered for my FIRST EVER attempt at writing fanfiction. I fucking loved writing this story and I will definitely be writing more in future. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
> \- Ghostnic

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so I apologies for any mistakes. Honestly is been so long since I have read canon so I don't even know if the characters are acting oc.  
> Any constructive criticism is welcome.  
> Please don't be mean :).  
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to JK.


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